When my husband spotted a pair of Mallard ducks in our yard, he stated how cool it would be if they decided to nest there. He was visibly disappointed when they flew away. Weeks later, while I was gardening, I spied the female camouflaged under a small pine tree. She sat atop a nest of…
Life is intense. Why do we make it more so by continually cranking up the intensity: more hours at work, calories to burn, or money in the bank? Constantly striving for more creates intensity. Increasing the intensity of life without intention is insanity. Living with intention means enjoying what we have, how we are, and…
Where you live is your choice, be it beach, mountain, or city. The same is true for where you live in time, be it past, present, or future. We live where we are comfortable and sometimes stay there longer than we should. What happened is in the past. We are free to visit whenever we…
Every trip requires at least some baggage. When packing, the goal is to be prepared, but at the same time, take only what’s necessary. What you bring has everything to do with the activities you’ve planned. Common sense leaves the snow boots behind for a beach trip. What gets thrown into the bag are the…
“April showers bring May flowers,” and flowers attract pollinators. Pollinators, such as birds, bees, butterflies, beetles, and bats, are responsible for the pollination of over eighty percent of the world’s flowering plants. These are highly integral creatures that need protection. Humans need to be Pollinator Protectors, and Earth Day is the perfect time to start.…
April is autism awareness month. As such, I would like to bring to your attention an incredible person, Temple Grandin. She is the USA Today 2025 recipient of the Colorado Woman of the Year Award. She is also autistic. Autism and the award might seem an unlikely pairing, but they are not. For decades, Temple…
In seventh grade, Jenny Raisch thought her life was over. In all honesty, many of her friends did, too. You see, at the school fundraiser, her parents won the bid for a slumber party. They gave it to Jenny as a gift for her 13th birthday. The problem was, this was not just any slumber…
Life is full of stigmas. They are everywhere, and most of them are untrue. Short, cute, blonde does not equal cheerleader. Cheerleader does not equal unintelligent. Depression does not equal crazy. A behavioral health center is not an insane asylum. Stigmas are labels of judgment that have no merit. I have a friend who suffers…
Ask any child, and they’ll happily reveal who their hero is. Not surprising are the superpowers possessed and capes worn by childhood heroes. To a child, a hero is someone almost other-worldly. The notion that someone worth looking up to can be a regular person is a foreign concept to children. When a sliver of…
How many times have you said or heard, “Things aren’t like they used to be” or “My how times have changed?” These are common sentiments that aren’t untrue. Life has and will continue to change, but certain principles would serve society well if we maintained them. Young George Washington had the right idea when he…