And so, it begins…. For my children and myself, the holiday season seems to begin with Halloween (we enjoy any reason for festivities and fun), but with Thanksgiving here in the United States this week, the holiday season will “officially”…
How Do You Measure Progress
Where I live, distance is measured in time, not miles. It takes ten minutes for me to drive from my home to the school, ten miles away. Whereas, the same distance in a city takes much longer. I know this…
Are You Really Listening?
Has communication ever been a challenge for you (or those you speak with?)? Years ago my husband and I had fun discussing the possibility of adding a garage to our home. One afternoon we were standing together looking out at…
Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues
I have long admired Benjamin Franklin and the more I learn about him, the more I appreciate who he was. You may be familiar with him for his role as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, or…
Knowing When to Say No
Part of my morning routine includes stating out loud a number of affirmations. These are based on Adam Markel’s code of conduct found in his book, “Pivot. The Art and Science of Reinventing Your Life.” He based his declarations on…
Happy for No Reason
How often do you feel happy just because? Not because the kids came home from college or you received a promotion at work. Not because you lost that extra 10 pounds or got the parking space at the front of…
Letting Go of Frustration
In my ideal world, my days would flow with grace and ease. No stress. No drama. No problems. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?! There are times when that actually happens and I love it! But then there are those “other days.”…
Bleak to Beautiful Skies. Changing Perspective
This past summer, where I live, we experienced weeks of hazy skies. Fires around our area, combined with grain harvesting, made for smoke-filled, dusky days. I did not realize how long we’d been living under these blurry skies until the…
What to do with a Mind That’s Working Overtime in the Middle of the Night
I know I’m not the only one to wake in the middle of the night with thoughts racing, finding it hard to fall back asleep. Not only is this exasperating but, it’s potentially dangerous for one’s health! Do you have…
Listening Within
We are born with an inner knowing, an ability to sense, feel, and know what is right for us. Over time if not nurtured, the ability diminishes. We’ve not lost the ability, but rather our trusting of that inner knowing….
Is it Always Better to Give Than to Receive?
I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re a nurturer, like me. Nurturers desire to serve and lift others. We are givers. Perhaps like me, you’ve always believed it is better to give than to receive. But what happens when the well…
Hard Won Truths about Overcoming Tough Times, from the Perspective of a Farmer’s Wife
How do you overcome tough times? I want to share what I’ve discovered after 27 years of experiencing farm life. My family had a rough go this last week. We had just finished the grain harvest and were preparing to…
