This Makes Me Laugh

by

Oh, so funny! This sign in the coffee shop down the street makes me laugh. The person in charge of writing something “witty and thought provoking” that day sure hit the nail on the head! Those words remind me to watch for the moments, words, expressions, signs that make me giggle and shine some sun into my day. We know there are smile-enhancers all around us, right? We just need to take the time to notice them, and shift our focus away from the messiness. Life is short…Let’s watch for the giggle moments! Continue Reading

This is Livin’!

by

Life is good. I believe that with every fiber in my being.  I believe that good things happen to everybody. That love exists, God is faithful, and grace and mercy are ours for the asking. The trouble is, people and messy moments can get in the way. So, I’m learning. Learning how to reconcile my core belief that life is good with the not-so-good and you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me moments.  I wrote the stories in this book to help me find my way. It’s a collage of moments where I’ve experienced life from different places, and have used Continue Reading

Let’s Dance!

by

The video and memory still make me smile. One of my Facebook friends posted a YouTube video of a little guy—maybe five years old—dressed in pocketed blue jeans, pointed cowboy boots, a blue-and-white checkered shirt, and a white cowboy hat. He was line dancing with a group of adults. Oh, my word. The joy on his little face! He was kicking and stepping and grape vining and toe tapping. Clapping with glee with a smile as big as a Texas ranch on his face. Was he keeping up? Not quite. Was he getting the steps right? Not much of the Continue Reading

Finding the New Rhythm

by

It was a you’ve got to be kidding me! moment. There were six of us. Six women who dreamed of tap dancing on Broadway. But knowing that was never going to happen, we had chosen a community dance class and were now gleefully tapping on a grade school stage. It was our recital. After nine weeks of stumbling, sweating, and fighting shin splints, this was our chance to show friends and family how quickly our feet could move. We had practiced. Hard. We had this. We wore snappy purple tails, purple top hats, purple cummerbunds, purple Continue Reading

You Have Cheerleaders!

by

Your cheerleading squad is ready and waiting. Already cheering your name while waiving their pompoms. Just waiting for you to notice them. For real. Even in the little stuff. When life’s big stuff hits, we are grateful for the outpouring of support. Dinners are delivered. Visitors hover in hospital waiting rooms. Someone shows up to clean the house. The cards and calls remind us that someone cares. That’s how it should be. And…sometimes… We need the caring, the attention, the cheerleading, when a bunch of life’s little stuff is Continue Reading

Learned Early and Often

by

Hello, Friends! I’m excited to introduce you to my new friend, Connie Miller Pease. She has written and published a delightful book, Mrs. Covington’s Sunday School Dropouts. I’ve invited her to share some of her beautiful writings with us today. Enjoy! I’m rambling tonight. Indulge me. God’s kindness is beyond what we ask or imagine. We ask for some small thing that we think we need or want and He gives us that and something better besides. We ask for help and we find it in surprising places. We ask for healing and are provided with Continue Reading

Doing Great Things

by

Great things. Actions that change someone’s life. That change our communities. That make our hearts smile. Let’s do them, OK? Let’s do Great Things this summer. Our pace changes during these few months. It seems easier to breathe. (At least it does here in Minnesota when we don’t have to worry about icicles forming inside the wool scarf that wraps around our nose!) Days are longer and we find more time away from our usual routine. We’re more likely to connect with people in person – reunions, vacations, trips to the Continue Reading

My Running Trials

by

Drift back with me… College years. Mankato State University. Trying to get my physical education required credit completed. I chose a class that included a workout program and running.  My grade depended on how many pounds and how many inches I lost. {Good grief. What on earth was I thinking?} Around and around the track I ran. And as I ran (I use that word loosely here), my mantra was that old hymn… Continue Reading

Crank up the Music

by

Hey, you. Yeah. You. Today is for you. Don’t miss it. Grab it! Yeah, I know. Your calendar is overscheduled. Your commitments are over the top crazy. And you are overwhelmed with stuff. But…what if you just take a few minutes to take a breath? What if you grab a few moments and remember that you are alive and this moment won’t come again and that life is bigger than your to-do list, calendar, and demands that never stop. I’m going to do that. Take a breath. If you feel it’s necessary to push full force into every Continue Reading

My Own Sochi Moments

by

I’m guessing we won’t hear these comments from our Olympians in Sochi… Do these ski pants make my butt look big? Who’s bringing donuts to warm-ups tomorrow? Gonna’ have me a big ol’ bowl of Haagen-Dazs tonight to celebrate the prelims. Their strength, speed, tenacity, consistency, and discipline… Impressive, to say the least. My first skiing experience 30+ years ago was anything but. After taking the chair lift to the top of a not-very-steep hill, I panicked. I didn’t get off the lift and started riding it back Continue Reading

Panic During The Biggest Game

by

Biggest Game of the Year. I’m talking football.  Super Bowl. And I take my football quite seriously. My favorite part of The Biggest Game?  All the pull-on-the-heart-string background stories we hear in the 63 hours preceding the game. You know, the family vignettes, the tough-times-made-me-the-football-player-I-am-today, the passionate tributes to coaches, mentors, and parents.  Absolutely love that kind of stuff. So I was kind of hoping I’d get to see some of these pre-game sentimental stories on Sunday afternoon. But… Since Continue Reading

She is in Charge

by

I guess she was The One in Charge. Of All Things Important. She relished her role. And I found it…annoying. Mom and I were heading into the eye doctor’s office. We had one focus…one mission…one intention… Get Mom to the bathroom for bladder relief. I knew where the bathroom was and we were moving fast… Until… We scurried past the little sign that said, “Please wait here until someone can assist you.” The One in Charge behind the desk sternly reprimanded us… Stop. You must wait until we ask you to come Continue Reading

Football and My Game of Life

by

High school football teams are back under the Friday night lights... cheerleaders and pom poms and school colors wave with youthful exuberance. Football moms pray and sweat it out in the stands... proudly displaying their sons' pictures on their mascot sweatshirts. Pep bands and hot dogs and school songs lead us into the weekend. It's football season. I'm in my happy place. (And yes, I am HOPEFUL for my Minnesota Vikings!) A couple years ago I wrote some thoughts after watching my nephew play in his high school Continue Reading

The Bouncy Gym

by

Really, lady?  You think this is a good idea? The teenager supervising the trampoline area was probably weighing his options -- just call 911 right away or wait it out for the stories he could tell. We were at SkyZone.  You know. The warehouse with the trampolines that remind us that our bodies aren’t what they used to be. The place where women who have lived 50+ years come to live on the edge and hopefully leave without a stretcher. I gotta’ tell you.  Trusting a stretch of buncy rubber to lift you into the air and catch you when Continue Reading

Purple Hot Pants

by

School Carnival.  Climax, Minnesota.  1973. It was an annual event where a king and queen were crowned, teachers got soaked in the dunk-‘em booth, cheap game prizes were won in the gym, and the cake walk was celebrated in the cafeteria. Much fun was had by all. I wore a purple hot pants outfit. With a purple headband. And purple tights. The outfit was…purple. Good grief. Whatever was I thinking. Back then, I felt like royalty. The look made me feel beautiful…even a little trim. Now, it’s one of those memories that make Continue Reading

Let the Muffins Go

by

I do not claim to be a cook. Nor a baker. Nor a candlestick maker. Kitchen and craft activities make my heart panic and my palms sweat. I don’t remember a time when cooking seemed “fun.” So when I found my family’s evaluation of my junior high muffin baking project…I smiled. Their comments: My Mom:  Delicious! They beat the ones she made from powdered milk!!  Home Ec has really helped her. Julie (The Home Ec major in college):  Good. Lori:  They were good with lots of butter. My Dad:  Excellent.  Moist (Is that Continue Reading

Miss America

by

A special treat: A chapter from "God, Girlfriends & Chocolate!" As little girls, my sisters and I loved watching the Miss America pageant. We’d pick out our favorite gowns, use our homemade score cards to judge the talent competitions, and cry when Bert Parks would sing, “There She Is, Miss America.” (If you don’t remember Bert Parks, my apologies. Parks was emcee for the pageant from 1955-1979.) We dreamed of the day when we would look like, act like, and be Miss America We still enjoy the tradition of experiencing the Continue Reading

Only in the Movies

by

Really. On what planet does this happen? Beautiful young woman walking in the rain…contemplating life with or without the man she is madly in love with.  The raindrops are sharp and icy cold.  The wind is swirling – with no hood for protection, her face and hair are getting a beating. She makes up her mind.  He’s the one.  She rushes to his apartment, into his arms, and she looks…well, she looks like she just stepped out of “hair and make-up.” Beautiful, wet (perfect!) curls frame her rosy cheeks.  Thick mascara has stayed on Continue Reading

Grateful for Girlfriends

by

Where would we be without our girlfriends? They make us laugh. They make us cry. They listen to our whining. They defend us without question. And the best part? They bring us joy. In the picture at the left, I’m polka-ing with my friend Chere Bork at a National Speakers Association party. Our friend Susan Zimmerman is dancing right behind us. I love this picture. It is filled with laughter from the belly.  Energy.  Friendship. We are just having such a great time. When was the last time you left your complaining and whining Continue Reading

Fit, Fun, and Fabulous

by

So I joined a Get Fit Boot Camp at my local YMCA. Good grief. I must have really been feeling motivated to kick some butt when I did that! And now that motivation needs to turn into action.  Ooftah. When I work out on my own, or with a trainer, I think I’m doing quite well.  How do I know?  Everything hurts and I thank God for every breath I’m still able to take.  And I’m only horizontal when the trainer tells me to get on the floor. But now there are people to compare myself to – others in the Boot Camp.  And let me tell Continue Reading