Remember when Remember when we carried on with our lives without a care in the world about catching a virus? I remember being on a plane traveling for a work trip when a mother with three young children boarded and clogged the main aisle as she spent a good 10 minutes using Lysol wipes to clean the seats, arm rests, and flip down tables before she allowed her children to sit … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Pre and postCOVID – being thoughtful Do you ever get stuck on a phrase that you can’t shake? Well, I know I have…. and some of you who know me may agree that I have been using and probably overusing the word Awesome for 30+ years. My prediction is there are a couple of phrases that will be used for a very long time are “preCOVID” and “postCOVID.” Anyone taking inventory of … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
A mom’s 20/20 vision This column has been around now since 2009 and I still remember writing that first article to submit and see if they would like the concept of a working mom column that included mom-isms, easy recipes, and talking about comical every day events. Well, so far so good. When I look at what I was writing about 11 years ago, I find that there are many of … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Hallo-Thank-Mas Want to celebrate three holidays at the same time? Just go to any large retailer and you will see the Halloween decorations on sale, the Thanksgiving items on the shelf around the corner, and the Christmas décor and displays starting to take shape in the next 10 aisles. Seriously, I haven’t managed to even clean out my summer flower beds and get some mums … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Being a woman is a trip Yes, it’s a trip — a trip through body-shaping, calorie counting, face firming, hair poofing, thinking-about-exercising days, and finally the fact that all of the clothes you wore a few years ago shrunk while in the closet. Did you move the button of your favorite shorts this summer or have you started cutting off the size tags on your shirts or … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
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...]
The importance of organ donation…To the Editor,
Ah, spring – time for new growth and hope. Now, imagine being a plant that is struggling to stay alive and looking for hope when suddenly it rains and the fertilizer kicks in and the plant begins to grow and prosper. This is very much like being a patient in need of a transplant. They are struggling to stay alive and then suddenly, an organ, tissue or bone marrow donation … [Read more...]
The Working Mom… To decorate or not to decorate — that is the question!
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...]