Aiden Ascending
As the annual cold, and briefly extreme, weather rolled in late December, something else accompanied the change in the air. I noticed he was struggling more to stand and stabilize himself. His stubbornness and unwillingness to come inside during the inclement shifts in the atmosphere was relentless. My stomach knotted up at night as I…Read More
Thirty Things
Back in the old days when magazines were still (gasp) printed on tree pulp, I loyally subscribed to Elle, a woman’s fashion and advice mag that spoke to women of all walks of life and always had a snarky message or two between the pages. One such column with humor and snark (I am a…Read More
Changing Lanes
Man (or Woman) planned, and God laughed. I have made a good career out of being a planner, project manager, disaster testing, business continuity planner, entrepreneurial, and finally, soccer mom. All require some degree of preparation. Secretly, I do not like planning in my personal life. I prefer someone else to manage the details of…Read More
The Power of Peace
The corporate American rat race boasts prestige, abundance, and for the lucky, big money. What it does not offer, nor guarantee, is a peaceful existence. Early morning meetings, late night calls and text messages, relentless deadlines, and everchanging schedules have become the norm of the American white-collar worker. Sitting in a chair, virtually chained to…Read More
The Pursuit of (Personal) Private Happiness
Time can be both a thief and a giver. Depending on circumstances, and variables within them, time can be an asset or an enemy. We all have a love-hate relationship with the clock. I have a propensity to move quickly; do things fast and move on to the next task. My brain, wired for speed,…Read More
Learning to Say No
Much has been written about these two magical letters: N and O. They get a lot of heat and take a ton of crap. These two members of the alphabet, when combined, can be a powerful and sometimes destructive couple. I’ve learned that it’s harder to say no when I am personally at my lowest….Read More
Bless My Mess
As I sit in my home office at six a.m. on a Sunday morning, doing my part on a biannual technology exercise, I looked around the room and said, “This place is a mess!” It’s not that I haven’t been conscious of the mess, but as it happens, life and all its sucky parts got…Read More
Remember Your Why
I’ve always been a hard worker. I can’t say that I have played as hard or as much as I work, but I am working to put that into better balance. My wiring makes that a little difficult, but I try anyway. The past few years since the pandemic have been an intense ramp-up of…Read More
The Art of Life
I’ve been toiling away at a hobby business that brings me great joy and sometimes unanticipated frustration. Vintage and antique resale is a booming business for several reasons. First, nostalgia sells. Many people either crave the simpler times in which they were raised or are fascinated by time periods outside of their own lifetimes. Vintage…Read More
Second Winds
For most of corporate America, tied to the daily grind of routines, some which are still in-office, the idea of retirement can be a dream come true. However, as people live longer and remain stronger and more able-bodied than previous generations, the possibility of working well into our golden years is an attractive option to…Read More