How do you feel as you anticipate the holiday season? Are you looking forward to it, expecting to grin and bear it, or a little of both? Most of us intend to observe the holidays with joy. Yet the holiday season can easily become overloaded with busyness, stress, hassle, chaos, late nights, and early mornings. … Continue reading Add Joy, Not Overload, to Your Holiday Celebrations
Tag: Thanksgiving
Giving Thanks in An Exceptional Year
I always prefer to focus on gratitude, yet I hadn’t been feeling it this Thanksgiving week. So I posed a question to our community via Facebook: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wonder if you would share what uniquely 2020-related things you are thankful for? In this exceptional year, I thought we might move beyond … Continue reading Giving Thanks in An Exceptional Year
What Thumper’s Father Said
In the classic Disney movie, Bambi, Thumper comments on Bambi’s clumsy first steps, “He doesn’t walk very good, does he?” Thumper’s mother jumps in: “Thumper, what did your father tell you?” A chastened Thumper—and a chastened me, when my mom reminded me of this scene throughout my childhood—quotes: If you can’t say something nice, don’t … Continue reading What Thumper’s Father Said
Happy Thanksgiving 2018
What are you facing this week? Traveling or family coming in? Stay-cation with lots of local activities? Business/work as usual? Cooking, eating at another's table, dining out? Little about this week has been our family's version of usual. Q14 got an unexpected day off school, closed due to unhealthy air quality from the Camp Fire … Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving 2018
Favorite Things
Sing along... Raindrops on roses And whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things While I'm a big fan of dew-dropped roses and kittens, my favorites list includes different items: My family, my marriage (coming right up on 25 years!), … Continue reading Favorite Things
Thankful Thursday – My Awesome Doghouse
No matter what you do, how hard you work, how much you invest, how great your love or commitment, you will disappoint people. The junior high and high school popular kids. Certain teachers or college professors. Friends and neighbors. Bosses and authority figures of all stripes and spots. Family members, community members, and church members. … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – My Awesome Doghouse
Thankful Thursday – Forced Detox
I'm back! For the last few weeks my computer has either struggled to function or has been in the shop (don't even get me started on the several internet technicians who spent hours at my house replacing brand-new modems with other brand-new modems or moving brand-new modems to different locations in my not-big-enough-for-this house; or the … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Forced Detox
Thankful Thursday – Hufflepuff & Blooms
So uncharacteristic, I began running about six weeks ago. Once-twice a week became two-three times a week became daily. Huh, I'm running! Not a runner, but running no less. About four weeks in I felt a funny coldness in my throat. Then a cough developed, non-productive, just annoying. Then I couldn't breath deeply - butterflies fluttered … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Hufflepuff & Blooms
Meatless Monday – Getting Saucy
The best part of a veggie Thanksgiving meal? Not spending All Day Long cooking a turkey! We keep the menu fairly simple and mostly traditional - mashed potatoes, stuffing, salad, veggies, biscuits - and add some baked salmon with oranges, cranberries and rosemary for the fish-eaters and a small turkey breast for the carnivores. We divvy … Continue reading Meatless Monday – Getting Saucy
Thankful Thursday – Life is More than Worry
As Church Communication Director, this week before Thanksgiving is always one of the busiest work weeks of the year as we rush to get Christmas PR printed, in the mail, up around town, in the newspaper, you name it. The creative work, writing and designing, is mostly done, so this week is all about details - proofing and making … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Life is More than Worry