My friend Jill gave me an antique heart for my birthday this year and I can’t stop thinking about how accurately it symbolizes foster parenting. Both beyond and within all the training and tears, the meetings and stress, the constant worry, the laughter, the learning and the love beats the heart. And, thankfully, it’s not [...]
It seemed just about right when our friend John Jorgensen texted a few nights ago to note with amusement that he and my mom, Grandma Peggy, were both pictured in the current edition of the Compass, the Green Bay Diocese Newspaper. My mom and John have been sharing spaces for well over three decades. She [...]
Some gifts arrive in exactly the right season. Take, for instance, the framed photograph our friend Deb dropped off for us. As Packer team pictures go, it's a relatively famous shot of one of the greatest teams in Green Bay Packer history. The 1962 Packers finished the season with a 13-1 record, and beat the [...]
This year, I am especially thankful for persimmons and all they represent. My particular persimmons arrived unexpectedly, hand picked, dried and packaged from a brand new friend's backyard tree. They looked like little wheels of sunshine, all seeded and eager to please. "Hello there, little guys," I said as I opened up a little packet [...]
Rain feels softer on this side of the hill, a refreshing pause rather than a full stop on the day’s agenda. We, who don’t care too much about the way our hair looks or our style flows, can point our faces toward the rain and let it soothe our lines. Rain sounds like peace, staccato [...]