An Archbishop and Oh, What a Choir!
I've been in Canterbury for just over a week now -- eight busy, and sometimes bewildering, days. It's impossible (for me, at least) to share everything I'd like to say about the past four or five of those days in one blog entry, so I'll break it down into two...
We’re Here!
The past week has certainly been an interesting one! After a 2-day delay (due to the foot of snow we received or issues with the airport in Chicago, I'm not sure); "my" students and I finally departed St. Louis for our 3-month stay in Canterbury England.Because we...
Mom Was Right
"When you have children of your own, you'll understand." That was a common refrain from my mother when my sister or I would express disagreement or frustration with her actions. In fact, that phrase had come out of her mouth so often before I was half-way through...
The Importance of Gut Responses
When I fell asleep Friday night, the streets outside my home had a very light dusting of snow after an afternoon and evening of rain. The forecast for my area had been for 4-5" of snow, and I was so relieved that it hadn't materialized. I had a mandatory meeting...
It’s the Most Emotional Time of the Year
It goes without saying that the 6 or so weeks from mid-November through the first week of January are rife with experiences that evoke strong emotion. Everywhere we go, we are greeted by bright holiday decorations, and television and radio stations bombard us with...
Adventures in Tinking!
Along with about 20 other women, I'm participating in a 2-month long knit-a-long at Knit and Caboodle, my favorite fiber/yarn/knitting/crocheting/spinning shop; the project for November/December is a sweater. For the past three Thursday evenings, I've enjoyed...
Taking Stock Financially
Finances can be a difficult topic to address; not only are money-related matters very personal, they are also amazingly complex. And although money is, of course, quite neutral (after all, it's just metal and paper), a discussion of how much we have and what we...
Thankfulness — Really?
I don't remember the first time I read or heard that the key to being happy is being thankful. I do know that by the time my husband was diagnosed with cancer, I knew that one form or another of this principle could be found in the teachings of almost every belief...
Time . . . Trying to Find Some?
"I don't have time." I wonder how many times I've said that -- to myself and to others -- to explain why my "projects" list remained unchanged for months (okay, years) or why my dreams remained dreams.More than likely, you know what I mean. Surely I can't be the...
Mementos and Memories
Last week I met with a realtor and put my house on the market. To say the least, my timing could be better. First of all, winter will be here sooner than I like (if I had my way, it would never arrive), and popular opinion is that homes don't sell well at this time...