This is the season to remind ourselves of all we have for which to be thankful.  I am a generally grateful person, although there are times when I take stuff for granted, or forget to pause and really reflect on the blessings in my life.  Taking time not only to “stop and smell the roses,” but to reflect on how… View Post

Hubby recently suggested that I get away for a few days to work uninterrupted on a big writing project.  Originally, I was going to stay in a hotel; but then I got this bright idea that if I rented a cabin, I could go for walks, enjoy nature, and find new sources of inspiration.  So, I got online and searched… View Post

Last week I told my hair stylist that I wanted to update my look.  My hair had grown past my shoulders, my bangs were long enough to be tucked behind my ears, and the highlights were turning brassy.  My go-to style of choice is a ponytail, but since I’ll soon be turning forty-two I decided it’s time to look like… View Post

Recently, I was telling some friends about my attempts to write a book.  A real book with chapters and everything.  The problem is that for the past nine years I have become accustomed to writing a weekly column of 750 words, and 750 words does not a chapter make.  Back in the beginning, I churned out sixteen hundred word stories,… View Post

I distinctly remember that moment, twelve years ago, when I plunked my final diaper purchase onto the conveyor belt at Wal-mart. My two-year-old daughter was potty-trained, and I had decided that after she finished one more pack of diapers, I would let her wear undies.  I etched the moment into my mind because I knew it was a milestone in… View Post

Hubby and I attended a real, honest-to-goodness, German Oktoberfest event last weekend!   We were one of the first to arrive in the main tent, and found ourselves wondering if perhaps the party was going to be a dud.  Initially, I thought the people slowly trickling through the door were part of the wait staff.   But as it turned out, we… View Post