I am not a liberal snowflake. My feelings aren’t fragile, my heart isn’t bleeding. I am a badass BELIEVER in HUMAN RIGHTS. My TOUGHNESS is my TENDERNESS. My STRENGTH is in the SERVICE of others. There is nothing more FIERCE than FORMIDABLE, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. There is nothing more COURAGEOUS than COMPASSION. But if my belief…

I haven’t written in awhile and boy do I feel it.  Everything seems very heavy right now for a number of reasons.  I am not sure why I haven’t written because I have a lot to write about.  I think just as with all self care activities-you have to make it a priority or it…

Continuing with my birthday tradition this year, I am going to focus on one word(s) for my wonderful husband who will be celebrating his birthday this week. Acts of Service In the book, The Five Love Languages, there should be a picture of Don for the chapter of Acts of Service.  Almost everyday, I can…

The 4th of July had always been one of my favorite holidays.  As a child, we would decorate my buggy and later my bike for the buggy/bike decorating contest at the Legion festivities.  We would watch the parade go down Shepard Avenue and then run to get in line to get the free ice cream…

So with Father’s Day approaching I thought it was only right to write about my dad.  My dad was only in my life for 20 years, not nearly long enough.  He also left me at the time in my life when I was trying to figure it “all” out so his death really added confusion,…

I have been thinking about the word Home quite a bit lately.   Recently, I saw a show down in Chicago called The Choir of Man.  I believe it is playing in Chicago until the end of July.  I highly recommend it.  See trailer below for a preview.  It is music and dancing but what made…

As Mother’s Day approaches, there were so many topics that I thought about writing about but it kept coming back to my own mother, Joan.  I lost Joan, who had become my best friend over the years, 14 years ago and there still are so many days I wish she was here. To ask her…

I cannot believe it was 26 years ago that my wonderful Madeline Jo came into our lives.  Don and I started our marriage believing we would not have children.  Neither of us felt that paternal instinct and we felt like we wanted to create a life together that was just about he and I.  I…

Oh, I bet I caught some of your attention thinking I have a big announcement about becoming a grandparent! No, for right now my only grandchildren are my grandpuppies, Maizy and Sevvy, and can I tell you how much I love these pups.  I haven’t even met Sevvy in person yet and she has my…

On this day 24 years ago, Marah Jo Petre came into our lives and completed our family.  It was such a memorable day because these spring snow storms that we have been getting this year also happened on the day Marah was born.  On the way to the hospital it had begun to snow.  By…