March is National Reading Month! So what could be better than bragging on my local libraries? We live on the border of Indiana and Michigan, so we’re members of libraries in both states.
Our Michigan library opened its brand new location last week and it is just beautiful! I can’t wait to spend more time there.
Read MoreYesterday morning, Tom and I were out the door by 6:05 a.m.! Not our usual M.O., for sure. But when you are invited to your first grandchild’s awards assembly in which he is receiving his first award—for COURAGE—you must attend!
Read MoreAs I watch Olympians soaring down mountain passes—through rocky chutes, over moguls, and around curvy bends in the trail—I yearn to hit the slopes.
Read MoreIf you’re reading this, you probably enjoy email newsletters, Substack posts, and news articles, like I do. Yet, the endless stream of information pouring into our phones, tablets, and laptops every day, is enough to sink the Titanic.
Read MoreThe peace and calm I’ve enjoyed at the lake is in stark contrast with what we’re now seeing daily on the news. Families ripped apart. Citizens shot in the streets. Tear gas, masked men, and violence. The current situation in Minneapolis is heartbreaking. 💔
Read MoreOne of the pleasures I’ve found in the empty-nest season is the time to tackle projects I’ve put off for years. For the past couple of weeks, with heavy snow and frigid temperatures keeping me inside, I’ve been working on another long-overdue project—I’m culling and organizing nearly 70,000 digital photos!
Read MoreAs promised, this week I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes look at my Substack. For each newsletter/post I publish, I receive stats on the number of emails opened, views, clicks, likes, comments, etc. It’s fun for me to look back at the end of the year to see what resonated most with my readers. Perhaps you’re curious too, or you need a second chance to catch a trending post you may have missed.
Read MoreBefore I get to my 2025 BestStack, I’ll share reviews of books I’ve read over the past two months. As usual, I have a mix of genres, but surprisingly, only one (and a half?) fiction book.
Read MoreLike many midlife couples, as children marry and move farther from home, we’ve reached the moment when long-held traditions must bend. We will still be together—just not on Christmas Day. And as I look back on 2025, I see that this wasn’t an isolated change. It was a year marked by a difficult parting, unusual holidays, shifting rituals, and moments that felt almost unreal. It all began on Day One.
Read MoreFive years ago (during the heart of the pandemic) I wrote a piece that still makes me chuckle, and reminds me to keep things in perspective at this time of year. It’s a fresh take on the empty-nester’s holiday wish list, in which I reflect on the nostalgia we all feel at this time of year and the benefits of the slower-paced empty nest. I also outline my realistic holiday wish list with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor.
Read MoreI don’t remember where we first heard of the concept of a “Worry Box,” but it was an apt analogy for the worrying tendencies around our home. While I’m typically an optimist—always hopeful and looking on the bright side—my husband balances me out with his concern over things that could go wrong.
Read MoreAs World Diabetes Day (November 14) converges with skyrocketing health insurance premiums and the potential loss of marketplace subsidies, this story is a good reminder of the personal cost to many. Based on a quick Google search, it seems the need for affordable healthcare is something most Americans can agree on.
Read MoreIt’s All Saints’ Day throughout the world—a day when Christians remember the saints that have gone before. Below, I share seven books that I’ve read recently, and it’s occured to me that each of my five-stars reads introduced me to characters who—though not saints in every sense—display a measure of saintliness that absolutely sets them apart.
Read MoreBack in July, I had the pleasure of chatting with my friend, Ruthie Gray, on her “Sandwich Season Sanity” podcast. Although she released the episode on September 15, that’s when I was deep into wedding planning and didn’t have time to tell you about it. I’m doing that now!
Read MoreIt’s my 63rd birthday! Although sixty-three isn’t a big milestone, each successful spin around the sun reminds me to reflect on the gift of another year. As I celebrate sixty-three years on planet Earth, here are the thoughts I’m thinking.
Read MoreYou know that feeling you get after returning from an amazing vacation? You spend hours planning and anticipating, and then gazing at those sparkling turquoise waters, majestic snow-capped mountains, ancient architectural wonders—the unforgettable sights dreamed of for months.
Read MoreI recently had the opportunity to chat with Lisa Granger on her podcast/radio show, “A Woman’s Heart.” Lisa was so warm and welcoming that—although we’d never met before—it felt like I was talking with a longtime friend.
Read MoreThe audiobooks on my drives to and from Minnesota, as well as books I’ve read for the “Sister Wolf” book club (at Beagle and Wolf Books in Park Rapids, MN), have been a welcome distraction from the excitement and stress of wedding planning. I’ve got some reviews and recommendations for you, so let’s get to it!
Read More
