OTV Magazine – Trusting Life’s Detours
Want to know a sure-fire way to get me worked up during the morning school drop-off run? Traffic detours. It seems like they are everywhere lately. Life has a funny way of regularly throwing us off our intended route. That has certainly been true of the last several years in my life. Sometimes, though, that…
Room to Breathe
It is difficult to write about blessings in the midst of tragedy. I’ve fought with with my words for this piece and three others all morning, searching for a way to reconcile the half-written drafts with the fresh feelings of sadness that have taken residence in my heart this morning after news of the suspected terrorist…
The Perfect Thing
“I would give just about anything for a cheeseburger right now,” I said, thinking of that perfect state of meltiness achieved by marrying hot, juicy beef to cool, creamy cheese. I drove on, debating whether pulling into the drive-thru was wise. After a moment, a small voice chirped from the back seat of the car.…
Start With Thankfulness
How often do you think, “I don’t know where to start…”? I find myself there often. I am very good at over-planning and under-estimating how long it will actually take to execute my plans. It’s something I know about myself, and even though I work to strike a more reasonable balance, I’m still learning. My…
All The Things I Tell Myself
I am not where I imagined I would be at this point in my life. When this topic came up at dinner a while ago, my husband asked me to promise I would not host a self-pity party. I told him I would do no such thing because some lies just cannot be told. Even as…
TToT – Bright Sides and Fresh Starts
Today has not started off very well. All manner of things have gone other than my ideal plan, right up to and including the part where I just moments ago spilled coffee on myself and my desk. So now I need a clean shirt already and it’s not even lunchtime yet. But on the bright side,…
TToT – Breathing Space
I can breathe. Seems obvious, right? But no. Ever since we all had the flu back in mid-February, I have been unable to breathe well for one reason or another – upper respiratory congestion, lower respiratory congestion, whatever. Over-the-counter nasal spray has become my close companion, but while it provides blessed and instant relief, that…
TToT – The Calm Before
I can’t believe I’m writing this late on a Tuesday afternoon. When I started this post, we were definitely in the calm before the storm early Monday morning. Now? Well, 36 hours later we have about fourteen inches of snow outside, the Rottens are sleeping by the window, and the Hub and Zilla finally got their…
TToT – Complications
I don’t even know why I call these posts ten things of thankful anymore – I’ve long since given up listing or counting anything. I suppose it’s because that’s how it began and it’s how we continue to identify with one another. This is a great little group we have here and that comfortable identity is…
Snow Days and Preparation – #10Thankful
Late Sunday evening and I’m finally sitting to think about my Ten Things of Thankful post. That happens a lot lately. (OK, it happens all the time.) I start my posts early in the week, I plan to get in there on Friday evening, and then…life happens. And I’m so very glad that it does.…