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“There’s a long-standing belief that art brings us closer to God. What do you think of that?” my colleague asked. I wasn’t sure at first if she meant the creation of art or the art itself – as in all the beautiful paintings of the Madonna and Child or sculptures of angels, etc. When I...
The other day, Roger and I popped into a gem store on a whim. As a child, I had a rock collection, and I still love looking at rocks, gems, and crystals. Business was slow that afternoon, so the owner and I got to talking . . . and talking . . . and talking...
Idahoans are fiercely independent. At least they were when I was growing up there in the 1970s and 80s. Private property was king. And no one, not even the government, could tell an individual what he/she could do. We guarded our privacy, too, though we were fine with gossiping about our neighbors. We greeted each...
I raised three awesome teenagers. I never would’ve guessed when my children were toddlers that I’d be able to say that someday. People were constantly reminding me to “enjoy them while they’re little, because someday they’ll be rotten teenagers.” I was also told to enjoy them while they still wanted to be around me, because...
I’ve noticed when things are going well, we lose our right to grumble or complain. No one wants to hear it, what’s more, they can’t even fathom why you would want or dare to complain. Let’s say, for example, you just got that big commission you’ve been hoping for, but the deadline is sooner than...
I get many of my best ideas in the shower, don’t you? But there you are, knuckle-deep in lathering shampoo, and all you can do is repeat the idea over and over until you can dry off and reach for something on which to write it down. Recently, I thought I’d found the answer to...
Your company brings in a motivational speaker. The speaker goes on and on about how to improve yourself and your life and your work. Your coworkers are grinning and nodding and applauding, but you just don’t get it. There’s nothing more annoying than listening to someone tell you how easy it is to reinvent yourself...
I was watching an episode of Fresh Off the Boat last night in which Jessica realized her husband had never finished reading the novel she wrote. It reminded me of something my marketing-manager husband once said, “Your friends and family are not your audience.” He’s not entirely correct, of course. Some of your friends and...
I’ve been thinking lately about all the messages I received as a child, all the things society wanted us to believe that never felt totally right to me, yet I accepted them. Why? For example, when I was a kid, my mom loved the Doris Day song, “Que Sera Sera.” In the lyrics, the young...
Yesterday, I needed a break. So, I bundled up against the cold and went outside for a walk. As I picked my way around the ice patches on the sidewalk, I asked myself, “What should I write about on my blog this week?” Seconds later, my answer literally stepped in front of me. A man...