I love this quote from Winnie the Pooh and the simple message it evokes. Sometimes we need to sit with difficult days, not fix them, not...

I’m never sure what date you "celebrate" a cancerversary – the day you first saw a doctor, the day you saw the oncologist or the day of...

During a recent holiday dinner my daughter did one of those icebreaker questions, you know the kind that gets conversations going..."what was the happiest time of your life." I didn’t answer right away, as it takes me a while ponder such a serious question. Now, if you ask my favorite food you get an immediate response: cookies of course!! But it got me thinking, reaching back into my memory bank, I came up with two winners of happiest times of my life. They both have ver

Today as I was hiking one of my favorite trails the word wonderment came to mind. I am in awe of nature around me…the wind whistling through the trees, the sound of birds singing in the distance, the crunch of ice as I walk, the beautiful evergreen trees and bare hardwoods that create a canopy above me. And you can’t forget the waterfalls, rivers and lakes glistening in the sun. When I got home, I found the definition of wonderment, which is: a state of awed admiration or r

Sitting in our living room with a cup of coffee is my morning ritual. It is quiet and time to reflect before starting the day’s journey. We put up a photo wall a few years ago to celebrate our various adventures and I sit and reflect with them, puppies by my side. I enjoy looking at those photos as it sparks memories of family, friends, triumphs, and adventures. We also have our family wall with wedding pictures and the compulsory yearly school photos of the kids in our u

While not my "usual" blog post, this article has EXCELLENT information to share with any woman in your life! You know me, the shout it from the rooftops kind of gal. Hey, if my experience can help others, I'm all in!! Plus you get to enjoy a photo from the Cleveland Zoo Asian Lantern Festival. I was interviewed back in May and totally forgot about it until I stumbled upon the article the other night. There are graphics and a quiz in the middle of the article, but keep s

The other night I dreamt I was at the base of a beautiful cascading waterfall. The waterfall that Steve and I ventured to in the Olympic Peninsula just a few weeks prior. It was in a beautiful lush area with large evergreen trees draped with hanging moss. I can almost smell the sweetness in the air as I write! In my dream I was standing in the water as it flowed around my feet. Not a strong current, just gentle constant water cascading around me. The dream was so vibran

I recently attended a women’s cancer retreat – Camp Mak-A-Dream in Montana. They offered so many programs – yoga, writing workshops, art...

You gotta love mud – especially as a child. Sloshing around in the mud and mud puddles is a universal joy shared by all children. For us in Ohio the mud ushers in spring. The snow thaws leaving a mud pit in our backyard to be enhanced by the spring rain. But the mud also gives way to other wonders. I recently experienced the nighttime awe of salamander migration to their ancestral breeding pools. It was on the scale of magical up there with my love for fireflies. The rai

Who can really describe grief or put a label on it. Everyone experiences grief in their own fashion. You will find tons of books and articles on grief, and how you “should” go through the process – but it all sounds so trite when in the midst of mourning. I've heard of so much loss recently. I was preparing to take my pup to the vet this morning when I was stopped in my tracks to learn of a credit colleague’s passing. Immediately you feel a loss in the pit of your stomach

When I heard that the Holden Arboretum has a woven sculpture on special exhibit, I was so excited to see it snow-covered that I took my first snow-shoe trek to the magnificent piece of art. It is called the Tilt-A-Whirl because of its flowing movement woven together by willow sticks. Amazing! I felt like I kid exploring a tree fort. So of course, I left a snow angel for others to enjoy. Seeing the smooth movement of the stickworks across the sky brought back memories of t

Bear with me, as this post is going to bounce you around for a bit, but have patience-it circles back around eventually! This week marks the two year anniversary of the start of chemo for my Ovarian cancer recurrence. I had a bit of PTSD remembering the doctor’s appointment on Christmas eve – the dreaded cancer was back and more chemo was scheduled. But that evening two years ago we all pretended that life was normal as we celebrated Christmas eve with my husband’s brother a

Poor Tank has been sporting his cone of shame for over two weeks. He had a growth removed from his back leg and we were hoping to get...

I just finished reading Lillian Boxworth Takes A Walk. It is a delightful book – not one with page turning suspense or romance. But a...

As I stand on water’s edge, my toes covered by the lapping waves, it brings feelings of immense relaxation. I can feel my body letting...

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou Wow,...

I have been ruminating on “three years” since last Friday. Such a short and long measure of time, yet a tremendously life altering...

The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over…. Aesop What A Year it has...

On my morning walk the past few days I have been navigating the snowy sidewalks. When the snow is deep, I tend to walk in other’s...

Being the only person on the trail today all I could hear was the crunching of leaves beneath my feet and the sound of the wind rushing...