This scenario and conversation happened with my youngest daughter, age 2 (almost 3) this morning. It really happened. Nothing is made up or exaggerated. I’m sharing it here because it really made me ponder.  What we discussed sums up parenting in the simplest way. The feedback also addresses the struggles we have at times with …

Typical Saturday Morning “Mommy I’m hungry” One eye glances at the alarm clock 5:57 a.m. “Grab a banana and go play quietly in your room.” A few minutes later… “Mommy can you hold me?” I climb down from bed, Wiping away eye crust I’m greeted with hugs and excitement My husband starts the coffee Waffles …

This is an editorial I wrote – a satirical piece on a serious topic: texting while driving.  I realize this is an important issue.  I also realize that we need to laugh more in life.  This was my way of bringing up the legal topic with a sense of humor.   This piece was published in …

Recently I attended a “Communication Skills for Women” one-day conference. I’ll be honest; I went into the event not expecting much.   With a general seminar and no agenda, I was skeptical on what I had agreed to for eight hours. Was it going to be all “fluff” and no substance? I wondered this as I …

For the past few months my husband has been dabbling in latte art. Technically, if we’re being correct, it’s breve art since our coffee contains cream, not milk. He made everything shown in the above collage.  His go-to art is typically designing leaves or hearts.  Every now and then he’ll try something completely unique though, …

Below is a poem I wrote freestyle.  In it I compare the writing process to piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. Poem Title: Jigsaw Puzzle Writing Writing is often a jigsaw puzzle set before us The exterior – the idea of it – looks and feels beautiful We open up the box We begin composing with …

Recently I dusted off my resume. I had almost forgotten where my qualifications and past history had gone to rest. It was over a year and a half since I even looked at employment opportunities. I am still not looking for a new job, not exactly… Instead I have been applying to graduate school. My …

Not every family has a garden. My lack of knowledge, labor and time has prevented me from starting one. I love the idea of raising livestock in my backyard but I live in a homeowners’ association that does not allow it. Despite those setbacks, eating fresh, local foods is very important to me. Teaching my …

Dear Inventor of the Automatic Flushing Toilet, Why did you have to put your scientific skills to work at such a trivial thing like commodes flushing by themselves?  Are we as a society so completely lazy that we can’t take two seconds to reach over and pull the lever ourselves?  I mean, honestly? Instead of …

Where do you purchase your office supplies now? Do you know how you will buy them in the future? This week, the Staples supply chain announced it is acquiring Office Depot stores for $6.3 billion. Soon the “easy button” will be displayed in nearly every big city’s retail region. But will shopping be easier for …