True confession: there’s always been a part of me who wishes I had been born in Ireland. I’m not sure where that pie in the sky dream came from, but it stayed with me. Since I’m so mesmerized by the Irish, this month’s newsletter will focus on that country. A little trivia here: The color representing Ireland used to be blue, throughout history, but in 1798, green would be deemed the proper color to celebrate Irish heritage.   Shamrocks and four-leaf clovers are symbols of

Mailboxes It’s surprising how deeply childhood memories impact us. I remember when I attended second grade at Shirley Hills Elementary School in Mound, Minnesota. My fondest memory was when our class had a Valentine’s Day party. I don’t remember if we had cupcakes to celebrate the event, but what I do recall were the awesome Valentine’s Day mailboxes we made from shoeboxes we decorated. To be clear, back then in the 1950s, it wasn’t as though children had a plethora of shoe b

Makeup Magic, Missing Mutts, & Miracle Makers Makeup Magic I’ve always believed in guardian angels, which is why I chose this picture for this month’s newsletter. Seventy years ago, my brothers and I came close to losing our lives at the hands of our mother. Had there not been a divine intervention and good Samaritans removing us from that bungalow house in Mound, Minnesota, I wouldn’t be writing this newsletter. Fast forward seventy years later. Once again, good people have

GENEROSITY As Americans, we often pride ourselves on our generosity—contributing to worthy causes and providing gifts for individuals we’ve never met. I thought I’d begin today’s newsletter with a life-changing experience I had when we first moved to Texas. In 1989, my husband’s company, the JC Penney Corporation, had recently moved to Plano, Texas and one of the things on the company’s bucket list was to provide less fortunate families with Christmas gifts. We were divided i

The Art of Compassion Thanks to all of you who read last month’s newsletter. You’ve been so kind, reaching out to me about Jim’s illness,...

Animals Those of you who know me well are aware that I’m not exactly a huge fan of ‘CHANGE.’ But, life happens, and we’ve experienced a...

On April 5th, I had the distinct honor of joining fourteen other authors when we met at a place in downtown McKinney, Texas called Gather...

Animal Docs Several days ago, our veterinarian since 1988 officially retired from Legacy Drive Animal Hospital in Plano, TX. Dr. Robert...

As promised last month, I’m sharing a few memories with you that travel clear back to my college days.   But first, a huge shoutout to...

The New Kids on the Block! First, a very warm welcome to my newest newsletter subscribers! We’re so happy to have you aboard. Amanda...

Jim and I both live in Texas, and our kids and grandkids all live out east now, so this year, each family is celebrating at their own...

GRIT In our society, when we hear the word ‘grit,’ we often think of that John Wayne movie, True Grit or, at the very least consider that...

Years ago, I read a book called The Girls with the Grandmothers’ Faces.  The premise of the book was how women aged with grace, keeping...

Q-R Codes True confession: I’m one of those folks who believes if I touch the wrong button on my computer, the darn thing will blow up....

June and July are months when many churches send their teens to places where they serve other communities. For many young people, it’s...

Since it’s close to Mother’s Day, this month’s theme is centered around mothers, and mother figures. Given that it’s often moms who read...

Years ago, I read a book with the title: The Girls with the Grandmothers' Faces, and I thought it was incredibly catchy. Here are a few...

Rule Bending When I first began writing seriously about fifteen years ago, I went all in and began attending writer’s conferences. At...

Lasting Legacies A very Happy February to everyone! I’ve been strolling down memory lane recently and decided that for this month’s...

Grumpy Grandparents When my daughter, Megan, was pregnant, and I was about to become a grandmother for the sixth time, I remember asking...