Beyond Just Mom

Yesterday morning I decided to get off my bum and drive my kids to the bus stop in the pouring rain.  The pouring rain is a happy thing around here.  Rain (instead of snow or ice) means there might be a God out there who is considering sending spring our way, someday.  It washes away [...]

Do any of you remember my fall post about cultivating gratitude? 

Yes?  No?  Me too. 
I admit, I put my 1000 gift list project aside these past several weeks. The little black book got buried in that basket of homeless living room stuff.  We were just so busy with Christmas,  back to school, that nasty shingles attack, and all [...]

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or not, I believe most citizens voted in good conscience.   It makes sense for all Americans to celebrate our amazing, peaceful transition of power, and there’s no denying January 20th, 2009 was a historic day.
Check out these photos of the inauguration experience all around the world.  The first few photos might be [...]

**Warning:  this is a whiny post, and it’s sort of gross.  So if you’re not in the mood, click away!  I’ll understand, as long as you promise to come back another day.  I usually write more uplifting posts, but this is all I can think about right now.**
::sparing you the traditional opening picture–you’ll thank me later::
I [...]

Oh, what a difference a split second makes! 
Yesterday, I was cruising through my Christmas errands:  picking up this, dropping off that, baking up this, shipping off that, stopping by here, shopping by there, and transporting people from place to place.  A light snow fell, promising a white morning blanket and lifting my Christmas spirits.  I was [...]

In The Faith Club, an earlier recommendation, Priscilla tries to explain her “tribal” connection to Judaism and its turbulent history.  Her father, she says, used to tell this story to address the challenges people face in life:

“Imagine this,” he used to say to us.  “Take your problems, all of them, from the tiniest, annoying concerns to the [...]

I must admit, I’ve been slow getting into the Christmas spirit.  Maybe because we traveled for Thanksgiving weekend.  Maybe because I’ve been working most weekends lately, while all the “good moms” are cooking and crafting and bonding with their families.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been trying not to get too caught up in all the [...]

This weekend, I’m enjoying the luxury of being a guest in my husband’s childhood home.  It’s not often that I get to sleep in, enjoy great food and wine, and relax with my extended family.   Both G and I are so thankful that both sets of our parents are healthy, happy and fun to [...]

I sure could! 
This article from Chick Moorman and Thomas Haller always gives me a lift.  I’m printing my favorite snippets; please read the complete article here.
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Special Thanks This Thanksgiving
By Chick Moorman and Thomas Haller
Millions of parents will pause this Thanksgiving to do what the day was originally created for — give thanks for the many [...]

“Mom, what’s good about mosquitos?”
My kids ask this on a regular basis, because I taught them to look for a good purpose for everything.  We’re still debating what purpose mosquitos serve beyond spreading disease and feeding bats.  Of course, I do understand natural selection, and the mosquito question is one of the smaller evils that can stump us, [...]