So with our son off to college, we are now empty nesters for most of the year. This is interesting backstory for all of you to have as I bring up the next topic — decorating for the holidays. When my husband asked me “why” would we decorate for Halloween this year, the question bounced off my heart with a tinge of sadness. Well because! (Not a great answer) There are … [Read more...]
Remembering summer and family
Summer is a time for us Minnesotans to soak up the sun and travel as much as we can. Many of my childhood summers included a trip to Sioux City, Iowa, to see my cousins. We lived every minute of the time we had and begged not to leave when Dad was packing up the car. And, we were naughty — taking off on my cousin’s green moped to go a few blocks away to the candy store to … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Taking the time It seems like many people are reciting the same phrase about trying to “take the time” to get something done or to spend time with someone. The time in the day is often filled with work commitments, children’s school and athletic activities, upkeep of our homes, and daily chores and we try to carve out time around all of that busy time to maintain cherished … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Communication these days When did we stop talking but still found a way to overcommunicate? This topic came to me when I was driving home from work the other day and started counting how many people were on their cell phones. After that, I watched drivers who were actually texting and not watching the road. All during this time, my phone was dinging and ringing too. Then … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Wisdom through the years Hello friends! I have been writing this column since 2009 and sharing stories about my life and family and probably embarrassing them many times. As I was writing my column last time that talked about my son getting ready to leave for college soon (three weeks!), it really hit me that as parents we can only hope we have instilled good values into … [Read more...]