Inspiration

  • Inspiration

    Peace

    The hour before sunset is my favorite time of day. This is when I feel a pull to drive to the Cape beach or plant myself on the sidewalk outside our front door. There I sit with five cats lounging beside me, all of us silent. The sky is filled with hues of yellow, pink, orange, and blue. Palm trees wave in the wind. A dove coos. I am grateful. I find that silence heals me from the clutter of life. Here are the words of Sue Monk Kidd taken from her book, FIRSTLIGHT. There is an extraordinary need in our lives for silence. The constant noise and chatter, internal…

  • Cooking,  Inspiration,  Teaching

    Epic Fail Fall Cake

    It all began when I was perusing the Martha Stewart dessert site and I spotted the most colorful cake I had ever seen. It was called the Super Epic Rainbow Cake. Of course in true Krista fashion I decided immediately I was going to make this super epic cake but with the colors of fall instead of rainbow colors. What better way to begin the season than with a super epic cake? That’s what I told Arielle and she replied, “but you don’t like cake. Maybe you should make recipes you want to eat.” Nah, someone will eat my cake, the fun is in the challenge of making it. That’s…

  • Inspiration,  Parenting

    Wall of Good-Byes

    Every year I get the most beautiful Christmas card from a family I hold close to my heart. There was a time, it almost seems like a lifetime ago, when I was a foster mother. We lived in a small two bedroom house. Kai was barely two and Arielle was six. I had seen a news program about orphans in Eastern Europe and knew I had to do something because the thought of a child having no-one in this world was unbearable. It wasn’t an option for us to adopt but I knew there were children in our community who also needed to find loving homes. Eric and I became…

  • Inspiration,  Parenting,  Travel & Accessibility

    31 Hours

    It all started fourteen years ago with one question “Where’s the closest post office?” I was standing in the parking lot of, A Happy Beginning Nursery School wondering who this bubbly stranger was. Little did I know at the time but I had just met one of the most influential people in my life, a strong woman who has taught me about happiness, people, friendship and parenting. My dear friend, Elena. There was an instant connection between the two of us and from that first meeting arose a group of friends organized by Elena, that we still lovingly call, “The Playgroup.” Back then we would meet at each other’s houses…

  • Inspiration,  Travel & Accessibility,  Wheelchair Athletics

    Fantasizing is Not Cheating

    I’m talking donuts here. Big round chocolate covered donuts. I’ve been dreaming about them for days. It all started back in August when Elle and I went to Illinois to the National Junior Disability Championship. We were lectured on the eating habits of athletes. Elle was told that if she wanted to be faster she was going to have to drop the pounds. At that point, I was going to the gym several times a week and Elle was racing many miles a day. We both were in good shape. Rarely did we drink soda, we never ate fast food, meat was not in our vocabulary and I thought we…

  • Inspiration,  Parenting

    Kids, Cars and Chaos

    Look for the gems hidden in the sands of time. Thursday and Friday of this past week were so busy the large McDonald’s coffee I drank before school on Friday left me wondering if they had made a mistake and given me decaf. By noon I was dragging and I had promised the students’ lunch with me in the classroom. I pulled out my travel mug of green tea and my Greek yogurt loaded with protein and played charades with the kids marveling at their energy after an equally long week. I had one and half more hours, two fall projects and a math lesson to complete before the end…