It started with the nugget When I was young and remember being a mile within Rochester, I also remember begging to have my parents stop at McDonalds.  It might not seem like a big deal these days but we lived 30 miles from a fast food restaurant and, with four kids, it was rare that we stopped to feed the crew unless we were on a long trip.  The ask was not for Burger King … [Read more...]

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...]

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...]

Seriously Mom — Are You Crying? Probably.  A state of calm is something generally not associated with a child’s high school graduation and, since we only have one child, the inner crazy mom in me was getting ready for a breakdown this past May. It was the craziest chain of events though.  Having made it through our only son’s graduation on just one Kleenex (yes, folks, … [Read more...]

For any of you who know me and know my husband, you will also know that he never reads my column.  So, I thought it was safe to write another column that shares the joys of marriage—or, as some of us say, “Are you kidding me?” My other half often displays what I call “husband-isms.”  In my world, they are behaviors or actions that only my husband has (that I know of) and … [Read more...]

Is spring here? Is that grass I smell?  I bet most of you are waiting for those Minnesota smells, like fresh cut grass, that let you know that spring is here.  It has been a cold and blustery winter so this column is dedicated to all of those sights and smells we wait for each spring. So, set the scene….it is 5-10 degrees outside..brrrrr:  It just kills me when I am in … [Read more...]

There is a funny saying when talking about losing weight, “If you can’t lose it, decorate it.” Maybe this explains my attraction (addiction?) to jewelry and all accessories with bling. As we enter this new year, it is customary to do a self-evaluation and determine if we are happy with our weight or if we have a New Year’s resolution to make. After the famous eve celebration … [Read more...]

The best gift of all Hopefully this finds all of you plowed out and sidewalks shoveled so you can have friends and family over for Christmas.  The weekend is fast approaching and, if you haven’t taken the time to be good yet this year, you barely have time to squeeze in a good deed or two so...hurry up!  If you have been reminiscing as you put up the tree this year and hung … [Read more...]