Last night we learned my nephew has a brain tumor. This morning I stand on my porch, birdsong welcoming the day as though nothing has changed, the whisper-soft breeze carrying muted sounds of distant lives. Such a dramatic change from last night, when booming thunder struck a match, setting off a brilliant lightning […]
Richly colored silver linings
May 13, 2013 By 9 Comments
Did you know sunny days are not your best friend for taking pictures? It is the cloudy and sometimes even rainy days that bring out the most amazingly saturated hues in the landscape. As a photographer I especially love this weather, as it makes my photos just POP with lush greens, brilliant blues, and deep reds. […]
The circle of life brings big gifts in tiny packages
March 11, 2013 By 38 Comments
I’ve updated this post from a year ago, in honor of our circle of life that will soon be expanding. I look back over the rocky chasms and green fields of the past almost 30 years, and zoom in on those beginning months that were shaping me to be a parent. Yes, we […]
Gratitude, Expectation, and the Not-Skis
December 24, 2012 By 4 Comments
I am tickled pink—bright, brilliant fuschia, actually—to introduce you to my first guest poster ever. Her name is Alexis Helmrath, and she is cute, witty, and just downright adorable, in addition to being a great writer. Alexis shares her creative masterpieces and disasters at Crafty Sheep, a one-stop shop for cute cat pictures, knitting and […]
Gratitude, shmatitude.Just let me enjoy my pumpkin pie in peace.
November 19, 2012 By 39 Comments
What’s that, you say? You’re tired of hearing about gratitude? Truth be told, so am I. I know that’s a surprise, coming from Miss Too Darn Happy, perennial practitioner and encourager of gratitude. I actually get a smidge annoyed in November at the volley of articles peppering me to be thankful. Don’t get me wrong. […]
The BEAGLE Theory of Life
November 5, 2012 By 29 Comments
Life’s lessons come to us in some unusual ways, but more often than not through rubbing up against those hard and unyielding sharp edges of the world. Such is the case with the B.E.A.G.L.E. Theory of Life. There was a pistol of a young man—Charlie Marston—who attended high school with my daughter. He had […]
What song are you singing today?
October 23, 2012 By 19 Comments
The opportunity of a lifetime has presented itself to you: Serving in a Japanese orphanage helping to care for the little ones as they await adoption. A delightful mix of cherubic faces, chubby fingers, and adorable coos laid over a foundation of love and sprinkled with the sweet scent of baby powder. What an […]
Through grateful eyes: a fresh perspective
September 10, 2012 By 20 Comments
As a parent, you have probably experienced close calls and feelings of helplessness with your children. Your toddler disappears from the backyard. The police call to say that your teens have been in a car accident. Your daughter phones from across the ocean, sobbing about how a sadistic old woman—her host mother for her junior […]
Gratitude for body slams, injured knees and crutches
September 4, 2012 By 14 Comments
Have you ever taken time for some rest and relaxation and had it go terribly awry? Like many of you, we took some time this weekend to unwind and ended up spending it very differently than we had originally planned. As a start to the weekend, my hubby and I entered our first 5K. While […]
5 Secret Paths to the Heart of Your Family
August 13, 2012 By 24 Comments
Have you showered your family with expressions of your love, only to be left gasping in surprise after they’ve responded with an upended bucket of cold water? Welcome home, honey! I did the laundry, cleaned the house, and we’re having your favorite dinner. Go sit and relax for a bit, and I’ll hold the kids […]
