Tone of Voice
Tone of voice is to words what a visual impression is to sight. It’s an underestimated aspect of communication. Whether written or spoken, tone of…
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Reasons to Celebrate
December is upon us already, and there will be no shortage of reasons to celebrate. At the end of the month, three holidays align this…
Heavier on the Gratitude
On Thursday, as you sit around the dinner table and dish up more food than your appetite calls for, think about applying that mentality another…
Jack, the Giant, or the Ostrich
We’re all familiar with the fairytale of “Jack and the Beanstalk.” The expression of being an ostrich with their head in the sand is also…
Pink Elephants Playlist
This week, I’m going to share the words of others in a short Pink Elephants playlist: Pink Elephants Playlist Everyone can benefit from the words of…
Bitter or Better
Exercising is important to me. Training and being physically prepared for whatever adventure comes my way is why I work out. I run now and…
A Difficult Decision
Once upon a time, there was a bored child. To alleviate his boredom, he began spying on his neighbors. He knew what he witnessed wasn’t…
All In Good Fun
The Junior-Senior T.P. Wars are a part of the Homecoming traditions at my daughter’s high school. Every evening during homecoming week, the 11th and 12th…
Switching Gears Takes Patience
Not all, but most of you reading this will remember learning to drive a stick shift. Switching gears takes patience. It’s hard to forget the…
Never to be the Same
Tomorrow marks a day in American history that no American will ever forget. Most people cannot recall what they ate for breakfast, but on 9/11,…
Invasive Species
Indulge me for a moment. Picture yourself in the mountains on a dirt hiking trail. There is blue sky above, a river flowing below, and…
The People You Choose
Friends are the people you choose to surround yourself with. They are individuals that grab and hold your attention and make you curious to know…
The Rodeo’s Approach
Being in 4-H, my daughters compete in the county fair. No county fair experience is complete without a visit to the rodeo. At a time…
How Much Longer
How is it that the older one gets, the faster time passes? When you’re a kid, time moves at a snail’s pace. Waiting for summer…
Worth A Million
They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” If this is true, then a memory must be worth a million. No photograph can capture…
The Best Medicine
What did the horse say after it tripped? I can’t giddyup! What do you call an angry carrot? A steamed veggie! These aren’t stage-worthy jokes,…
Beauty & Strength
Much of my happiness comes from the outdoors, either being outside or bringing parts of it inside. Nature fascinates me to the point of referring…
Dreaming of What’s Next
Fantasizing about what life will be like as grown-ups is part of childhood. Children’s imaginations continually bloom with thoughts of careers, houses, spouses, and the…
A Year of Growth
Monumental events leave a lasting impression. Some years roll over into one another with no distinct variation. You go through the motions without noteworthy happenings.…
The Luckiest Unlucky People
Most people equate luck to winning the lottery or something similar. However, due to several experiences, my family’s take on luck is different. We call…
Grace to Ourselves
Many will agree that mothers are notorious for endlessly giving to others. What we’re not guilty of giving is enough grace to ourselves. As mothers,…
Animal Babies
Spring has announced its arrival. If you don’t stop and admire, you’ll miss the awesomeness of the season. In addition to the lawns turning green,…
The Fisherman
Once upon a time, there was a fisherman. He was very successful at fishing but wondered if there was more to life than what the…
Waste Not Want Not
Let’s take a page from the book of any Native American tribe’s philosophy and learn from their example of waste not, want not. Indigenous peoples…
I Just Don’t Get It
Art museums display weird, shocking, pleasing, and beautiful works. The mediums and messages from one piece to the next vary, even among works from the…
Lose the “UN”
Many words begin with the prefix “un.” Those two letters at the beginning of a word usually carry a negative connotation. Think about it. The…
The Little Engine That Could
In 1930, Watty Piper wrote “The Little Engine That Could.” The most famous line in the book is, “I think I can. I know I…
Passion of the Prairie Dogs
Fort Collins is home to the only lowland Nordic ski team in Colorado, the Poudre School District Prairie Dogs. In 2017, Kyle Steitz, the coach,…
Will and Way
I’m sure you’ve met them, but I want to introduce you to my friends, Will and Way. I met them years ago. They met at…
Recipe for Grit
It takes grit to make it through life. Grit is more than an idea. It’s a practice that can be applied every day, especially the…
The Full Moon
Each month, a full moon hangs in the night sky. To most, this monthly occurrence isn’t noteworthy. Moons wax and wane without much acknowledgment. At…
Jar of Hearts
On a shelf above my desk sits a jar of hearts. I have collected these hearts of different sizes, colors, and materials for many years.…
Turd in the Tub
When my daughter was about three years old, she pooped in the bathtub. You read that right, she left a turd in the tub. I…
The Little Rotating Circle
We’re all familiar with the little, rotating circle in the center of our screens, which signifies a device is processing. Our patience gets tested when…
Dishwasher Safe, Handwashing Recommended
While loading a Teflon pan into the dishwasher the other day, I noticed the label “Dishwasher Safe, Handwashing Recommended.” It got me thinking about how…
ABCs of 2023
Learning our ABCs is the beginning of learning how to communicate. They are the foundational building blocks upon which languages are built. Once the alphabet…
Next Year’s Gonna Be…
We all say it, “Next year’s gonna be…” The adjective placed at the end of the sentence depends on the person speaking. For some, saying…
Saying What You Mean to Say
Saying what you mean to say requires intention and attention. Choose your words carefully, for they can be spoken wrong or received wrong. Thinking before…
Thanks For Being Awesome
It’s easy to forget to show ample appreciation to those closest to us. The people we interact with daily and share the minutia of our…
Your Crazy is Showing
Not long ago, my friend gave me a greeting card. The card reads, “Your crazy is showing… you may want to tuck that sh*t back…
Stand Like An Evergreen Forest
Evergreen forests are home to a variety of pines. These needled trees retain their beautiful shades of green year-round. Their never-changing color makes them appear…
Life as a Cornucopia
Cornucopias are always depicted as overflowing with a colorful bounty of goods spilling out of their container. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and berries spread across the…
Affix Your Oxygen Mask First
Safety instructions offered by flight attendants before take-off are, for the most part, ignored. Their words are heard but not really listened to. The directions…
Accepting or Taking
We have choices in how we cope with the curve balls life throws our way. The options are accepting or taking. Acceptance is the ability…
Sand in a Suitcase
Have you ever noticed sand in your suitcase? No matter how much you brush it off, leftover bits of travel hitchhike their way into luggage…
Fill the Cookie Jar
Lifting the lid off a cookie jar only to discover nothing more than crumbs is disappointing. We expect the good stuff that was there the…
The World Is Round
“The world is round” are the words my husband is most known for saying. More than just a phrase; it’s a way of life for…
Bounty of Beauty
No matter how ugly life gets, a bounty of beauty is nearby. You need not look further than out a window. Better yet, step outside…
Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen
Ensuring you have the right words when saying goodbye isn’t easy. When dropping my daughter off at college, this was the challenge I faced. There…
Lessons In Inappropriate Things
One would think a babysitter would be the one to teach kids lessons in inappropriate things, not the other way around. My daughter received an…
In the Mail
Technology is great, but one thing that can’t be improved upon is a good, old-fashioned note. Remember the excitement you felt as a kid when…
Emotional Enemies
Gratitude and guilt are emotional enemies. So are joy and jealousy. These emotional enemies make playing the game of life difficult to enjoy. They are…
Permission to be Human
Life hits you when you least expect it to. Holding it all together during those times is challenging. When emotional challenges overwhelm me, I’m learning…
The Speed of Life
Light and sound travel swiftly, much quicker than time, but the speed of life has its own pace. Days, weeks, and months pass in the…
A Spoonful of Sugar
Jane and Michael Banks had to take medicine each day. What the medicine was for, I haven’t a clue. It is beside the point. What…
Just Give It To Me
The delayed flight from Denver to Boston made all the passengers impatient for take-off. Everyone, including the pilot, was anxious to get in the air…
Trusting It
New cars come with lots of bells and whistles. Drivers have options to put more and more control in the vehicle itself. Cameras and sensors…
Dorothy Said It Best
Traveling is great, and I’m blessed to do a good deal of it, but I always look forward to coming home. Dorothy said it best…
Anticipation Is
My daughter and I have just returned from her college orientation. The time to spread her wings is coming, but not until September. In the…
Happy 4th of July
Happy 4th of July! On this day, may our hearts be filled with gratitude for our country and the freedoms we have. May the symbolism…
Childhood Right of Passage
Playgrounds are a childhood right of passage. My childhood would’ve been incomplete if it weren’t for park playgrounds. Parenting my daughters would’ve been very different…
Lessons I Thought I’d Learned
Patience and acceptance are lessons I thought I’d learned. Life doesn’t seem to agree with me. That or I need more practice. Situations involving both…
A Good Day to Say Thank You
Sunday is Father’s Day, making it a good day to say thank you. Thank you to all the dads who have done their best without…
Not A Kid Anymore
Walking passed an elementary school the other day, I overheard part of a conversation between two young girls. Matter of factly, the first girl said,…
Changes For Everyone
New parents wonder how they’re going to survive keeping a child alive. They blink, and before they know it, graduation caps are being tossed into…
Cloud Formations
Do you see the dog howling? Or the snail head? Does something else catch your attention? Cloud formations are fascinating. Depending on a person’s imagination,…
Leave It Like It Is
There is a song from the late 1980s by David Wilcox called “Leave It Like It Is.” https://www.google.com/search?q=leave+it+like+it+is+lyrics&rlzThe song is about a jar of blue…
Many Hats of Motherhood
There’s no end to the many hats of motherhood. Mothers must be part chameleons or magicians. How else could we change our demeanor or adapt…
The Brass Ring
“The brass ring only comes around once” is a saying I’ve always loved. The phrase was designed to attract people to ride carousels long ago.…
Donate Life Month
April is National Donate Life Month, and National Pediatric Transplant Week is April 23-29, 2023. Donate Life is the national registry for matching organ, eye,…
A Tree-Hugging Hippy
Hip-hip Hooray! This Saturday, April 22nd, is Earth Day. I don’t think of myself as a tree-hugging hippy, but I value the Earth and its…
Oreos and Love
Oreo cookies in our house are more than a cookie. Those little round cream-filled treats are a small and special sign of my affection for…
In Search of a Chuckwalla
Over Spring Break, my daughter’s friends decided to take a road trip. They were in search of a chuckwalla. With little money and an equal…
Snorkeling Through Life
Snorkeling in the ocean fascinates me, not just the visual beauty of marine life, but the whole experience. In the underwater world there is a…
Into the Unknown
On a hike last summer, I came across abandoned railroad tracks previously used by miners. Their abrupt end got me thinking. There are times when…
Monsters Under the Bed
Do you remember laying in bed, frozen with fear as your imagination conjured up monsters under the bed? It didn’t matter that you couldn’t actually…
Hazards Exist
“Hazards Exist” signs warn of obstacles on ski runs, but life is no different with its unforeseeable challenges. The “Hazards Exist” signs make me laugh…
Only Two Options
There are only two options to a couple things in life. Size and age are topics that fall into this logic. Over time our body…
Unlikely Companions
Lucy the Golden Doodle puppy, and Twix the rescue kitten are the newest additions to my brother’s family. At first glance one might think them…
Love Languages
Love is an insatiable human need. When we give a gift we strive to make it the “perfect” gift, so why not strive for the…
Choosing Change
The choice to change ourselves isn’t an easy decision, and the action required of oneself is even more daunting. Choosing change requires us to love…
A Dream I’ve Never Imagined
Once upon a time, life gave me what most would call a nightmare. At the encouragement of others, I turned the nightmare into a dream…
I’m Not Theo
I’ve been volunteering in my friend’s first grade classroom. At times the group of six and seven year old’s can get a little too rambunctious.…
The Art of Saying “No”
Why is saying “no” so difficult? I’m as guilty as anyone for not using this word enough. Thinking I can fit in one more appointment,…
Nothing More Than Doodles
Pinned to my office bulletin board are several of my daughter’s drawings. To Emily they’re nothing more than doodles whipped out during math or English…
The Holiday Hangover
I think it’s safe to say we’re all feeling the holiday hangover. I don’t even mean the overindulgence of cocktails. I’m talking specifically about the…
Gone Skiing
This week I’m taking a break from blogging to break in my ski legs. For those of you looking forward to my mental meanderings, I…
PerfecT Doesn’t Make You Laugh
Of all your holiday memories what do you most recall? If I had to guess it isn’t the “perfect” ones. It’s the holiday mishaps that…
Communication is Key
In my opinion there’s not a more important skill than communication. Communication is key to identifying and expressing our personal needs and wants. To be…
Half Full or Half Empty
Viewing life as a glass half full or a glass half empty seems to be a limiting approach in my opinion. The options are left…
Differently This Year
Alcoholics Anonymous defines insanity as “doing the same thing and expecting different results.” You don’t have to be in the program to see the logic…
Value in the Variety
This fall in Colorado has been unlike any I can remember despite being a native of the state. The variety of vibrant colors of the…
The Happiness Calendar
As Thanksgiving approaches gratitude is on the forefront of my mind. When I think of gratitude I also think of happiness. In my opinion the…
Happy Teeth
When I was in high school a friend from Spain came to visit for the summer. Her English was very good but she couldn’t remember…
Living Up To His Name
Meet Malucca my eleven year old Portuguese Water Dog. In Portuguese his name means crazy. He does an excellent job of living up to his…
Knows How to Own It
My seventeen-year-old daughter knows how to own it. She used to be the mascot for her middle school, but set it aside during high school,…
Bad Things Happen to Good People
It’s my belief that the majority of people are good. Why then do bad things happen to good people? The truth is, life happens to…
Completely Selfless
Not many people are willing to put the needs of others before their own, but my friend Angela is that kind of person. In the…
Fresh Squeezed
There’s no doubt that fresh squeezed orange juice is better than any store bought kind. Sure there’s something to be said about the convenience of…
Beautiful At Every Stage
Flowers fascinate me. They are beautiful at every stage of their life. What seems fragile is remarkably strong. It’s amazing how blossoms know when to…
And the Winner Is…
The EVVY Awards are the like the Emmys but for self-published books. Several months ago I submitted my book Pink Elephants to the Colorado Independent Publishers…
Heavy Lifter
In high school I used to love weightlifting, specifically the bench press. Seeing my name on the “100 lb+ Club” was my goal. It would…
A Grumpy Grasshopper
The other day my four-year-old neighbor approached me with an outstretched hand. On her palm lay a large, listless grasshopper. Lucy said, “Look what I…
No Better Gift
Recently, I was asked what I think it means to have grace. My answer was that grace and kindness are much the same. Both are…
Rolling Stone Wisdom
Life can be incredibly disappointing at times. People work hard for what they think they deserve only to be left wanting more. The want for…
A Penny of Many
On our first anniversary I started a tradition of giving my husband a penny. It has become a penny of many. The idea was that…
Something To Believe In
Deep down we all want something to believe in. The only way to know that our beliefs are not foolish is to question them. Take…
Everyone Has a Story
Everyone has a story to tell about a traumatic experience because there’s no escaping trauma. Trauma is a thread that connects people, as no human…
Riches of a Rainbow
Rainbows have always stopped me in my tracks, even as an adult. The riches of a rainbow exist with or without a pot of gold…
Diamonds in the Rough
A diamond is considered by many to be the most precious of all gemstones. The untrained eye isn’t able to see the beauty of diamonds…
Box of Chocolates
I don’t pay much attention to “pop-up holidays” as I call them, but I think this Thursday is one worth noting. Thursday is National Chocolate…
Land of the Free
Living in Northern Colorado means that every now and then my family has reason to drive through Wyoming. Often when we do so it’s at…
A Good Father
To be a father is an honor. Good fathers are men who choose to live up to the title. They are men willing to care…
Take Me With You
As the curtains closed on my Gramma’s life she had one request, “take me with you.” Those were the some of the most important words…
Root to Tip
Ridding a garden of weeds is a never ending task. Removing them before they get too big or out of control is important. Mowing over…
Outside Our Comfort Zones
Snails and humans are vastly different from one another but there are a couple of key similarities. For starters both species have comfort zones. These…
Measuring Up
So many people are constantly in search of measuring up. Rather than finding satisfaction in what they already have, they look for validation outside of…
How Much A Heart Can Hold
Zelda Fitzgerald said, “No one has ever measured, even poets how much a heart can hold.” I think Zelda was talking about a mother’s heart,…
Kris Clink’s Writing Table Podcast
Join me as I speak with fellow author and podcaster Kris Clink. We discuss how my family survived the life-threatening illness of our daughter, why…
Every Choice We Make
In a couple of weeks, it will have been four years since I was involved in a serious car accident. Going 75mph, I was in…
Earth Day IQ
Did you know that April 22nd marks the 52nd Earth Day? This is a day to enjoy our planet and consider ways to better take…
Crosswalk Companion
My dog and I walk almost everyday. Bad weather or Malucca’s stubbornness are the only reasons a walk gets skipped. He’s only willing to walk…
Windows and Doors of Opportunity
We have all heard of the windows and doors of opportunity. There are windows of opportunity. When one door closes another opens. Opportunity knocks, is…
The Show Must Go On
Bring on the temporary distractions from life. Pull up the curtain and strike up the band. Let the shows begin. Theatres, stages, concerts, and comedy…
It’s A Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood
Every day is a beautiful day in my neighborhood because I’m blessed to have incredible neighbors. Though Mr. Rogers and Tony Danza don’t come by,…
Table for Four Please
These days dinner reservations are practically a must. Lately, my house is no exception. Connecting over the dinner table has always been a priority in…
Complacency Is Not A Place
For the first time in a long time the world seems to be on the same page. What is happening in Ukraine is not okay.…
The “Board” Bird
At three-years-old and not more than three-feet tall, my sweet, little Emily blurted out a statement I didn’t understand. With one hand on her hips…
How Rich Are You?
“Mom are we rich?” was a question my brother and I occasionally asked our mother when we were little. She always offered the same answer,…
In the Right Place at the Right Time
I have learned not to begrudge my hardships, because of the insight they provide later. Each experience of life is preparing me for whatever is…
Look At Life Through A Kaleidoscope
The simple beauty of life is not so different from that of a kaleidoscope. With every turn of a kaleidoscope the pieces fall into place…
Perspectives
After living together only a few months, my husband and I were still getting used to one another’s habits. We were learning what was worth…
Wanted: Emotional Boost!!!
We could all use a boost to our spirits lately. Tensions are high, tolerance is low, patience is next to nothing. A collective sense of…
Moving Through Adversity
Surprisingly, the most common question I have received after the publication of Pink Elephants, has been, “How did you and Tyler manage to stay married?”…
Tuesday’s Teabag Wisdom
This week I would like to enlighten you with different kinds of thought provoking messages of positivity. For some time now I have been collecting…
Sword Or Words
Move the “S” at the beginning of SWORD to the end and you have WORDS. Completely different in their meanings, but surprisingly similar in how…
One Last Gift
Though the presents are all unwrapped there is one more. Since it can’t be put under the tree, placed in your hands, or delivered to…
Holiday Traditions
Whether your beliefs were born in a manger, celebrated by lighting a menorah, or took flight beside a jolly man in a red suit, they…
Managing Expectations
There’s not a direct line in life connecting Point A to Point B. Instead, the road of life lays before us with turns, twists, and…
Turning Lemons Into Lemonade
Not long after I released my first book Pink Elephants, a fellow author approached me with the idea that we exchange reviews for one another.…
Hannah’s Superbad Podcast: Parenting A Sick Child with Gratitude & Strength
This week I invite you to join me for a podcast interview instead of a blog post. Hannah Hopkins Walton is the host of Hannah’s…
The Importance of Four-Letter-Words
It is unfortunate to me that all four-letter-words get such a bad rap, since there are two categories of them. There are the words that…
More Like a Moose
During a recent drive through the mountains, I spotted two large moose standing in a field. I pulled over to watch them for a moment.…
There is a Season for All of Us
Living in Colorado I have the privilege of experiencing the gifts of all four seasons. Each abounds with its own abundance of wonder and joy.…