Do you wish you were a creative person? Here’s a little secret – You already are a creative person. Creativity may come a bit more easily or naturally to some people, but with effort, anyone can develop their creativity. Creativity applies to so many areas of life. You can learn to think in more divergent…
Our neighborhood library closed a few weeks ago. It made me sad. No worries, the brand new one that was built to replace it is huge, light-filled, and amazing. But, the library that closed was the library of my children’s childhood, so our last visit there before it closed was a bit sad. Even a little…
Getting older often (usually, hopefully) means getting wiser. (To that, my wisecracking son would say, “Wow, Mom, then you must be really wise by now.” He would probably follow that up with, “But you look young for your age, usually.”) I’ve shared many of the following thoughts with my kids as they grew up….
The magic of a little child’s brain is one of the most exciting things on this earth, isn’t it? The thoughts hidden inside those cute little heads, behind those big eyes are amazing. My kids had really vivid imaginations when they were small. (They still do.) My daughter, now 21, (update, now 26!), lived in…
In the fall of 1990, I spent a good deal of time on the sofa, nursing my firstborn, and was so intent on becoming a good mom that I read parenting books like mad as I sat there– mentally filing away some info and discarding as much. (I would also rock that little bundle…
Ever since my 19 year old daughter was tiny, she has said that she wished we had an apple tree, or a peach tree, or a (fill in the blank) tree. I always told her that trees take so long to grow, it would be too long before we could reap the benefits. So…we never…
Every year, spring itself is like a huge surprise to me. After a long, gray winter, I’m always surprised at how stunning the bright green grass looks, and how breathtaking the sun looks, streaming through leaves. After many years of this, it seems that feeling wouldn’t happen, but it always does. More sun and more…
In my family history, there seems to be a genetic tendency to be obsessed with photography. My dad loved it, and he inspired me. One of my sisters still shoots film, and while her style is much different than mine, her candid shots of family events capture memories that would otherwise be missed. (And, if…
Several days ago, I came across a stack of letters I had written to my parents years ago. My mom had saved them, and when she passed away, I brought them home. Some of the letters were from my college years, from dorm room 543 in Centennial Hall. The letters often began with “I’m sorry I…
I love going to my inlaw’s. It’s only an hour and a half drive away from us, but it’s worlds away from the hustle and noise of the city and suburbs. (And I really like my inlaws!) There’s even a giant rocking chair in one of the yards on the way down. (One of these days I’m going to…
The very first time my husband and I grocery shopped together, we spent a long time in the cookie aisle. (Those who know me aren’t surprised by that last sentence of course…) The cookie choices were bombarding us from the shelves. (There really are too many choices of everything at our grocery stores, don’t you…
Through the years I’ve learned a few things–many of which I wish I had known much younger. I’ve also learned that some ideas that were denounced by the “experts” were right all along. Here are a few things that my mom might have said, that experts told us weren’t true. It turns out, though, that Mom was right….