In case you missed the news in my last post, I’m hoping to start a book club for all you readers in life’s next chapter. In other words, if you can read a novel, you’re invited!
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Even though the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice is a week away, I feel like summer began weeks ago. You too? Graduation season is wrapping up. Picnics and beach time are happening again. And strawberries are ripe for the picking!
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I stood on the sidewalk feeling like a forgotten pet, a lost child, a jilted lover. My husband had gone to find a free parking spot in busy downtown Grand Rapids, while I ran into the restaurant to check on the wait time. We had picked a special place to celebrate our 38th anniversary, and opted for a “walk-in” since reservation times were limited.
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May 15 marked one year since the release of Empty-Nest Joyride!
And what a ride it has been!
Like birds from a nest, this year has flown! As author Gretchen Rubin says, “the days are long but the years are short.”
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I just returned home from a long weekend in Charleston, South Carolina, with my daughters and daughter-in-law—Leah, Chloe, and Maddie. It was our first-ever girls’ trip (and likely not our last!). I hope to share a little more about the sights, sounds, and delicious tastes of Charleston in a future post, but for now, let me tell you about our first day.
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Transitioning to what has long been called the “empty nest” can bring on a whole host of emotions, from sobbing 😭 to sniffling 😪 to celebrating 🥳🥂.
Wherever you are on the spectrum, I encourage you to rename this season. Seriously, isn’t a term that starts with “empty” going to get a bad rap?
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Similar to what is often referred to as “Maycember,” my April calendar was jam-packed with holidays, events, and getaways. I looked forward to the fun times that were coming, but all the delight April promised was starting to stress me out.
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I originally published the following story on May 27, 2023. Since then,
-our cabin has undergone more improvements, bringing both hassles and happiness.
-My then-newborn granddaughter is now a spunky, mischievous, and delightful almost-three-year-old…
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Words fail. But we must try. (Because words may be the only way to healing and hope.)
Last Friday afternoon, March 6th, a storm blew through. Tom and I were both at home, working on our laptops. We heard some thunder, followed by a generous downpour. And then the sun came out. A typical early spring rain.
Or so we thought.
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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.
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Yesterday 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!
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As 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.
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If 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.
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The 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. 💔
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One 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!
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As 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.
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Before 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.
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Like 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.
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