Thank you, 2012, for every lesson learned and every opportunity given. Quite honestly, I won’t miss you all that much. I’m fully ready for 2013. Bring it. 2012 had its share of challenges, personal and professional. It wasn’t the best year, it wasn’t the worst, and I suspect that’s how most years are going to … Continue reading »
Here it is: a ridiculously easy, slightly offbeat holiday craft. It’s a great way to keep the kiddos busy on Christmas break, and it’s a great way to give a little gift to your own inner kid, too. This year, instead of buying all of your holiday gift wrap, make your own. Of course, if … Continue reading »
Here in the United States, we set aside the fourth Thursday of each November to give thanks. The older I get, the more it feels as though one day simply isn’t enough. Another word for thanks, of course, is gratitude. And you may have heard the expression, “have an attitude of gratitude.” Quite simply, it … Continue reading »
A rare, brief Sunday post to wish fathers everywhere a wonderful, family-focused, and happy Father’s Day. This blog focuses almost exclusively on women and girls, but I think we can all agree that fathers play a pretty important role in shaping us. A day of remembrance and celebration is surely worth noting. My dad died … Continue reading »
When we left off, I’d reposted a few of last year’s more popular entries on camping to gear up for Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer. I hope it was a beauty for all of you — it was for me. Memorial Day weekend is an annual opportunity for me to merge … Continue reading »
My mother does not do the Internet. She gave it a shot, and she might try it again down the line, but she is an old school communicator. My mother understands the power of a note, beautifully written, on fine card stock. She appreciates the enclosed article, artfully cut from a magazine, folded with care, … Continue reading »
Ten years ago this week, I was deconstructed and reconstructed by two surgeons methodically bent on ridding me of cancer. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I remember saying to myself, with great regularity in the days leading up to surgery, “I just need 10 more years. Just 10 more years…” At 41, … Continue reading »
I’ve been working on a post on the subject of Valentine’s Day for days now and just tossed it in the virtual trash. It was a mildly amusing tale of disappointing celebrations, major disaster, and some personal (wholly unattractive) martyrdom. None of it matters. What matters, dear scouts, is this: On this day, as with … Continue reading »
Since most of the world lives by the Gregorian calendar that means New Year’s Day is about the closest we come to a global public holiday. That’s cool. I love fresh starts, real and metaphorical. That’s what we get every 365.25-or-so days. And since scouts are asked to examine how a favorite holiday is celebrated … Continue reading »
Happy Thanksgiving, friends. I hope this day finds you in the company of people you love. May you eat yourselves silly, laugh til you fall over, sleep it off, and do it all over again. Some holidays strike you as more meaningful than others, and some years they feel particularly important. Thanksgiving 2011 feels that … Continue reading »
