Humans were made for connections too. Have you heard the buzz about the New York Times game, Connections? Are you a slave to solving this daily puzzle, sometimes as soon as it’s available after midnight? (Not that I would know anyone like that! ?) For a while, we had Wordle—the puzzle that took millions of us captive for a few minutes each day until we uncovered that 5-letter word. Now, in a puzzle that takes me anywhere from five minutes to all day to solve, we play Connections, the NYT’s second most popular daily game (after Wordle, of course). This game has us puzzling over 16 words that fi ..read more

A "stack" of books I've read, reviewed, and might recommend. Note: If you completed my recent reader survey…thank you! If you didn’t, here’s the link to the 3-minute survey (for subscribers only, free or paid.) To better serve you, I need to hear from you! Take the quick survey now! Those who did complete the survey have overwhelmingly noted that they love to receive book recommendations. In the past, I’ve posted book reviews sporadically, or all at once, as I did when I looked back on all of 2023.     That’s about to change. Introducing My BookStack! This year, I plan to share my r ..read more

A deep dive into information overload and our choice to sink or swim. Remember the days when we had the option of watching a television show (we had a choice of about four channels) OR reading something printed on paper? The simplicity of our former lives seems foreign compared to today’s barrage of information.      WTMI (Way Too Much Information) usually refers to sharing gross or socially inappropriate information in public. But what about the epidemic of Way Too Much (Acceptable and Appropriate) Information? I often get the sense we’re drowning in information overload.  ..read more

We're all in the mood for a melody. After seventeen years of silence, Billy Joel “turned the lights back on” this week with a new song release.1 I only had to listen once to decide it was worth the wait. It brought me back to June 25, 2022—a magical night at the University of Notre Dame. After a long walk around campus and dinner out with five of our besties who we see about once a year (they hail from Calgary, Toronto, and North Carolina), we stood at the gates of the stadium, flashed the e-tickets on our phones, found our seats, and settled in for an amazing concert! When we heard Billy Joel ..read more

A tiny taste to whet your appetite. If you follow me on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, etc.), you may have noticed a recent glut of posts about my book. If you’re tired of them, I’m sorry. Please bear with me! I’m truly not a salesperson. (Remember Ding-dong. Avon calling! ? I tried selling Avon in college and failed miserably, as I hated “pushing” lotions and lipsticks on people!) But it’s different when you’ve created something you believe in and feel called to share, and the main way to do that is through plugging it in your online spaces. For most of the writers I’ve talked to ..read more

With recommendations to get you started.     Perhaps you’ve heard the slogan ringing in this new year: Do More in 2024! I don’t know about you, but the thought of doing more after the past few weeks of shopping, decorating, baking, cooking, and entertaining makes me want to crawl in a hole and hide. If I did though, I would take a book with me. For the past few years, I’ve set reading goals on Goodreads, and although I missed my goal by 6 books this year (30/36), I’m happy to see my numbers increasing each year. I’m setting my goal for 36 again this year, so I hope to read more in 2 ..read more

The benefits of being semi-retired.     Trying on retirement. Anyone who has retired, knows that after the “Congratulations! You’re going to love it!” handshakes, the next thing you’re bound to hear is: “What are you doing next?” Eighteen months ago, when I retired from my school Speech-Language Pathologist position, my answer was “writing”, “grandkids”, and then “we’ll see what happens!”  Another frequent comment I heard, especially if someone knew my age, was, “Wow! Aren’t you lucky? Retiring so young!” That one triggered some guilt and embarrassment—making me feel I had land ..read more

(and a sneak peek into “semi-retirement”) Semi-retired. I listen from my virtual spot in a staffing meeting as a mother, through her tears, shares concerns for her high school son. It’s my first time meeting nearly everyone in the room, but I’m moved by their compassion and understanding. “You are your son’s best advocate. It’s good that you brought up your concerns.” “We are going to do whatever we can to help him.” “I think we have a good plan for now, and if you decide to take things in a different direction, we’ll support your decision.” I was a school Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) for ..read more

At our home in southwest Michigan on the first of May, we enjoy the return of our favorite birds to our backyard feeder. Like clockwork, the rose-breasted grosbeaks with their striking red throats, and the orioles in their bright orange cloaks, head north and migrate back home after their winter hiatus in the south.     This year in May, we also headed north—even farther north than southwest Michigan—to our cabin in northern Minnesota. From the middle of May through next week, the first week of October, I will have spent nearly thirteen weeks Up North. My husband, who’s not yet reti ..read more

At 60, I'm letting myself go gray. Barbie would approve. (Note: After debating it for a few years, I’m finally letting my hair go gray! My trusted beautician said it will take about a year to do it “graycefully,” so this may be the first of several posts related to graying and aging.)     “You guys would fit right in here,” my daughter said with a chuckle, as we stepped out of the church building and toward the car. My son joined in the banter. “Got that right. At least 80% of the crowd had gray hair!” I rolled my eyes. Although I felt quite comfortable in the silver-haired church c ..read more