Dear Blog Readers, I miss you! It's been too long since my last post! Believe it or not, I'm working hard on several topics but as often happens, life got in the way. Specifically, me getting sick! So, this note is to let you know that yes, I am still here! My days have been spent trying to get everyone back into the groove of work and very soon...school. This has proved to be no easy task and I appreciate your patience! I'm focused on taking care of my family and getting healthy. We're doing ok, but it's taken longer than expected. Remember My Values? I shared these before: Faith, Family, Friends, Health and Generosity. Well, I wouldn't be honoring them if I didn't let my blog take a backseat once in a while. So as you might expect, this will be a short post just to let you know that I haven't forgotten you. I hope to be back to normal soon. That said, I did have the opportunity to speak to several amazing Mom's Groups in the last year and tell the story of Simply …
Family
Roadtrip – How our family traveled the US for three months!
Sounds crazy right? Yes, even to us and we lived it. In fact, the night before the first leg of our trip, I could not sleep thinking about the adventure ahead. Could we do it? Would we still like each other? And then, I remembered how hard we worked to get to this point. Excitement replaced worry, so I still couldn't sleep! Traveling cross country requires planning and preparation but I promise, it's very doable. Our family started considering a three-month tour two years ahead of time. Our trip covered nearly the entire US, East to West and back again. Before jumping in the car, there was a lot to do! While this was not an overnight decision, I believe that any family can do it. As we prepared to leave, it was great to hear how so many people were excited about our decision. But I was really saddened to hear this, just as often.... "We could never do that." Yes. You. Can. I promise. First, you have to "Eat the frog." Start with the difficult …
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Not Enough Time
I confess, I have a favorite grandparent. If this were a trivia question, my husband would answer correctly. He knows. Other family members probably know too. Grandma Alice My Grandma Alice was my favorite...a character with an infectious smile. I’m accused of emulating her Spyker spunk which probably explains our connection. I wear it proudly. As the oldest granddaughter, she and I were blessed with memories that are beyond words. There’s rarely a day that goes by that I don’t think of her. I loved all four of my grandparents dearly. Ruth, Elwood, Joe and Alice were present my entire childhood. Vivid memories and stories I was honored share when we celebrated their lives. What a blessing to have four living grandparents until age 22! Such a gift of time and yet I’d love to start over. Ask them questions, listen to their stories and write them down. What strikes me about my memories of Grandma Alice is that few are about the …
No Regrets
No Regrets. Easier said than done right? Last year, after 19 years of corporate consulting, I launched Simply Enough to help people declutter and simplify their lives. On my last day in the corporate world, I posted this picture to my FB page. As I walked to my car after turning in my computer and badge, I thought to myself....No Regrets. That's how I felt then and even more so now. I love every minute of this new path. So, here we are nearly a year later and I'm about to embark on yet another crazy family adventure. This time, I'm taking Simply Enough on the road. Our family of three is planning a 3-month cross country road trip. No RV, just our SUV, minimalist packing, homeschooling, adventure-seeking, national park exploring, time zone crossing and more. Since announcing the trip, we've received so many positive comments. Many saying "What an amazing experience." "You'll never regret this time!" Can you imagine? Doing something that people …
Grateful for….
November is a popular time for listing all the things we're grateful for. Some dedicated souls post one thing a day to Facebook and I admire this every year. While that activity did not make the cut on my to-do list, there are many things on my mind this Thanksgiving Day. So much so, that I'm not sure where to start. Truth be told, I had planned to stage this post several days ago but the week got away from me. Short weeks mean free time and fun but I'm also guilty of trying to fit 5 days of work into 2.5 days. Not to mention the food shopping, pie baking and packing for our trip to visit family. I'm happy to report that all went well. For the most part, I did not overcommit and our drive was stress free with little traffic. Our son attended his first college basketball game as a special treat with his grandpa while mom and dad enjoyed an unexpected date night. It seems the holiday is off to a pretty good start. So here we are, Thanksgiving morning and I'm thankful for many …
After last night, here’s what we can do…
After last night, I found these words swirling around in my head. I had no intention of ever writing on the subject but I make my living as a speaker and blogger, writing words every day. Today, I felt that any other topic would be trite and disingenuous. Knowing there is only one subject weighing on nearly every American’s heart and mind....the election. Some are upset, devastated and scared. Some are elated, optimistic and inspired. No matter where we land, I believe what matters most is not how the winner and loser respond but how we respond, as citizens, parents, friends and neighbors. The candidates face daunting tasks in their next steps. Ours is actually much simpler if we focus (now more than ever) on what matters most. I woke up today the same person as yesterday in that my beliefs and values have not changed. Furthermore, I believe that I've found a way to reframe them in the context of unity after this election that I hope might resonate with others. Please here me loud …
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