I was having a conversation with a great writing friend yesterday and we were reflecting on this year, 2020. We spoke for an hour catching up on each other’s lives, talking about our children and how we’ve written or journaled a lot this year. She asked me, “How do you think we’ll look back on …

Recently our family watched the adorable animated film, Kung Fu Panda again.  What a precious movie this is!  I adore the overall message in this film.  It really had me thinking deeply for several days.  Yes, a cartoon!  What’s wrong with that?  At the end of the movie, Po (the Kung Fu panda)’s father tells …

“What’s that?” my eight-year old daughter asked me, pointing to my bowl a few days ago. “Grits,” I replied and put a spoonful in my mouth. “What’s grits?” she asked and turned up her nose. “It’s….” I started to reply. “It’s from corn. But it’s more than that. Let me think so I can explain.” …

Who else is experiencing a tornado of emotions? Happy and content one minute before turning into an angry, multi-headed beast the next? Then crying uncontrollably later on that same day? For a change, this hasn’t been me recently. I felt more like this in May, June and early July of this year, but I’ve been …

View life’s interruptions as interruptions, not ending points. This is one of “Patty’s Points” in Patricia Heaton’s latest book Your Second Act. I consumed this book over the weekend in two days. I loved it. I needed it, and now I want to gift it to my closest friends and female relatives. These interruptions we …

Ever have a memorable, interesting and funny kind of week? That’s how this week has felt for me. I wanted to capture the top ten moments so here it goes – 10 reasons this week has been memorable: 1. I dropped a balsamic vinegar bottle all over the kitchen floor! Here’s the proof. I took …

Summertime is usually such a carefree, fun time. But this summer feels quite different. Many of us have felt very isolated and been physically distant from others since the COVID-19 pandemic began (mid-March 2020). In June I found myself slipping into an incredibly sad state of mind, possibly the beginning of depression. I was withdrawn, …

I just finished reading a dark, painfully but beautifully written book. The topic was heavy – about a ninth-grade girl who was raped and didn’t speak up about it. She fell into a depression and shut everyone out. At the end, she finally began to use her voice and was on the verge of telling …

I’ve had several friends and co-workers ask me lately how I feel about turning 40. And the truth is that I feel good. Not jumping for joy ecstatic happiness, but I feel comfortable and cozy about it. I’ve been thinking about it for the past year and getting used to the idea that I will …

Have you ever really put thought into your day and recorded how you spend your time? On New Year’s Day 2018, I did just that. I was intentional in how I spent my day, hoping that it could perhaps set the tone for the year ahead. I made time for each member of my family. …