-
Zen And The Art Of Lawn Maintenance
I read the phrase; the grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it. This hit home for me. It was an ah-ha moment. What we give our attention to flourishes; whether it’s parenting, marriage, our career, or our friendships. Attention is the water that nourishes the grass. If we focus on just one area of our life and give it all of our attention, using up all our resources, there is nothing left for the others. If we spread ourselves too thin and water an entire field, each area only receives a few drops. We must prioritize our lives and determine where to focus our…
-
Quotes To Make You Smile
“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.” Virginia Wolf “The constant happiness is curiosity.” Alice Munro “A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.” Steve Martin “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Mohandas K. Gandhi “I can tell you that what you’re looking for is already inside you.” Anne Lamott “When you get to a place where you understand that love and belonging, your worthiness, is a birthright and not something you have to earn, anything is possible.” Bréne Brown “Find out who you are and be that person. That’s what your soul was…
-
When a Storm Hits
Sometimes a tornado appears, sweeps you up, whirls you around, and when your feet are finally back on the ground leaves you wondering what the hell just happened. Life. Life is what happens. Always. The past two weeks have been filled with heartache, love, travel, friends, and hope. Oh, and workmen painting and repairing giving our living room a new look. Same space, new appearance, which is kind of like what happens when a tornado hits. Pieces must be put back together. Those which were destroyed leave room for new seeds to grow. If we are mindful, we’re stronger, smarter, and more beautiful than we were before the storm. Growth…
-
Couch To 15K To Marathon: What I learned
What a difference a year makes! Last February I wrote about my reluctance to run a 15K. Afterward, I wrote about my race experience. This journey of training and setting running goals for myself has taught me a lot. One of the greatest lessons I learned was that sometimes it takes failure to get me to be grateful for how far I’ve come, and that believing in myself takes practice just like training for a marathon. Failure I spent months preparing. Even after only completing two 5K’s and a 15K I was determined to run 26.2 miles. Sort of. As the race approached, I heard myself saying things like “I’m going…
-
Author School Visits
Ten years ago I devoured a book entitled BOUND by Donna Jo Napoli. I was a teacher at the time attending a writing conference where Ms. Napoli was the keynote speaker. The novel gripped me. I had to find out who this woman was that wrote so beautifully about a girl named Xing Xing.
-
Goodbyes Are Never Easy
Thank you to everyone who adopts from shelters or rescue organizations! You truly are making a huge difference for animals and your community. I’ve spent the past two months getting an inside view of a shelter and the incredibly dedicated and caring people who work there. It’s opened my heart in ways I never imagined.
