A little more out loud.

For some reason, this year, Easter has been a tricky season for me. I don’t hide from all of you that I am a Christian. But I also don’t put it front and center – especially in my work life. In my background in public education, it was a no-no to mix church and […]
Frozen Hot Chocolate and a Side of Lagniappe

One of my favorite chocolate shops in the whole world (ok, I’ve only seen part of the world, but still!) serves something called frozen hot chocolate. Now, before you make the mistake of thinking that frozen hot chocolate is exactly what it sounds like, let me assure you – it is not! This frozen hot […]
Scouty Scout and 5 whole years.

My past has some pieces I’ve put away. I don’t have dark hair and bangs any more. I no longer sew clothes, work on math equations, go camping, or ride road bikes. I don’t still sell cupcakes, raft rivers, teach cookie camps, or run races. I’m not currently teaching school or living in New York […]
Your Natural Love Language.

For being a relatively healthy person overall, I have actually had a lot of surgeries. Some of them I categorize as “let’s dig around and fix some things up” – i.e. ovarian cysts, meniscus tear, hole in my heart, etc. – and some I categorize and “let’s just get this thing out of there” – […]
Standing Tall.

Peter Wohlleben, in The Hidden Life of Trees, tells us that “When there is a drought, trees pause their growth. They reduce water consumption and halt photosynthesis, but they don’t give up. Instead, they wait, conserving their energy until conditions improve. During these waiting periods, they still function and endure, even though growth may not […]
A murder of crows and 3 small ideas.

My friend Julie (yes, that same 7th grade friend Julie!) works at a delightful children’s store in a delightful part of town. One day last week I visited her there and while wandering the store I came across a big thick chapter book intended for young-ish readers. It had such a cute cover that I […]
Hot Ones and 4 takeaways.

I am for sure not the first one to write about this. And, I don’t even like hot sauce. Like, at all. But my sister Coleen recently got me into this YouTube show called Hot Ones. Four episodes in and I’m hooked. For the two of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, let […]
Seeing ourselves through others’ eyes.

Several of my youngest clients are heading back to school in the next couple weeks. The topics we’ve discussed in our sessions have revolved around their class schedules and their friend groups and will they or won’t they like their teachers and who will they sit with at lunch and should they try out for […]
10 ways you’re not choosing love.

Darren and I met over 35 years ago. We dated each other in three different decades. And last month we celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary. To say we have had an unconventional love story is an understatement. But, as I often tell people, it’s a pretty great story. In coaching about life, I end […]
Turning Strangers into Friends.

In the 5 years before Darren and I got married, I made only a couple trips a year out of my home state. Mostly to visit family. Mostly with my sisters. Which meant I had a lot of chances on those trips to talk with a lot of people I know really, really well. In […]