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 luck in Ireland...

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 boxes to choose...

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 come to my...