Madie’s Blooms- Perfect Timing

Madie's sunflowers were planted in early July. In Minnesota, that means that these have to be vigorous and a little faster growing than the average to bloom in the short season of frost free summer. My estimate put us into early October. Fortunately, Johnny knows a thing or two about the types of sunflowers and … Continue reading Madie’s Blooms- Perfect Timing

Madie’s Blooms

I told you about my dear Madie, but I didn't tell you that she loved sunflowers. She even had a sunflower lesson that she regularly used with the teens we mentor. Sunflowers are bright, cheerful, and have a unique design that allows them to follow the sun! Incredible. This could also easily describe Madie. Bright, cheerful, and bringing sunshine into any room.

Masterpiece

This is the third story on hidden gems discovered in everyday. Last fall, my husband and I headed out on our extended RV road trip and along the way, we made stops in some of the most scenic parks in the country. One of our stops was in Wyoming in Glacier National Park. It was … Continue reading Masterpiece

Ruth

This is the second story of hidden gems discovered in the everyday. In my work with students in local middle school mentoring clubs, I get the opportunity to hear other people’s stories. One of my favorite activities with students is our field trip to local senior housing facilities. We do this at the end of … Continue reading Ruth

Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve

This is the first post on some of the hidden gems I have discovered amongst the everyday. Over the last several years I have had numerous medical appointments. I have worked with many different healthcare providers on a lot of different levels. I learned early on that these appointments are a lot more enjoyable when I … Continue reading Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve

‘Tis a Gift to Be Simple

Christmas and New Years have long felt like a balance between endings and beginnings. The places where things are brought down to their very simplist of forms. Firsts and lasts. This year it felt especially stretched between the two extremes. In October we lost a family member in a most unexpected way. In her sleep. … Continue reading ‘Tis a Gift to Be Simple

Finding a Friendly Voice in the Wildnerness Areas

After chemo and a metastatic cancer diagnosis, I found it tough to get through many books or movies or even tv series. My favorite genre has been nonfiction as I love to hear other people’s stories. They inspired me. They introduced me to another’s perspective and experience. I could more easily empathize with them after … Continue reading Finding a Friendly Voice in the Wildnerness Areas

A Time for Everything

Some seasons (weather and life) are more challenging than others. The waiting. The struggle. The cold. The dark. Sometimes it is the cold and sometimes it is the dark. Sometimes it is waiting through the challenging and wondering if you will see the other side. But like the seasons, nothing lasts forever. Sometimes the change … Continue reading A Time for Everything

Confluence

Definition of CONFLUENCE 1 :a coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point • a happy confluence of weather and scenery • a confluence of cultures 2 a :the flowing together of two or more streams b :the place of meeting of two streams • the Mississippi River's confluence with the Missouri River … Continue reading Confluence

The Pursuit of Happiness

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We recently had the opportunity to see a presentation on the Declaration of Independence while we were in South Dakota.  … Continue reading The Pursuit of Happiness

When the Ground Falls Out From Beneath You

I met Garrett a few years ago after a stranger told me about his remarkable story of resiliency and perseverance.  I then had the opportunity to hear his incredible story when he volunteered to speak with a group of middle-schoolers  I was mentoring in their strengths.  What struck me most in his story was how he … Continue reading When the Ground Falls Out From Beneath You

The Versatile Blogger Award

I’ve been nominated for a Versatile Blogger Award by Mitch Teemley from The Power of Story! Here is someone who speaks my language: Stories. The Versatile Blogger Award was created to introduce people to up-and-comers. My task is simple: To tell you 7 Things About Me, and to introduce you to other Up-and-Comers (or new … Continue reading The Versatile Blogger Award