“A new and improved you is not determined by a New Year but by a new mind.”
~ Unknown
Tag: holiday
Halloween Ditty
High Rises and Plush Nature
When I was young, I was a city girl. And this was my city. ☝ Continue reading “High Rises and Plush Nature”
Cherishing Culture
Homage to History
I posted the true history of our American Thanksgiving in 2012 and thought it was time to share it again. I’ve copied and pasted it below.
Almost Party Time
Happy Friday!
Time to flee the office and race vibrantly into the three-day weekend (Labor Day in the States).
The Unexpected

Last year I wrote about sending out an intention to the Universe of something that you would like to occur in your life (or pray), and then trust it will happen. One example I shared before was the synchronicity of our move back home.
Not only does the Universe/God answer our call/prayer in due time, but sometimes we receive answers we aren’t even looking for.
The Saga Continues
Many of you know about my broken refrigerator saga (starting on November 19th!) and my subsequent nasty cold. I thought I was finished writing about that true story, but it turns out that I’m not.
Chaos and Calm
Good morning, afternoon or evening, for whichever time you read this post.
I had a brief and serene blog post scheduled for today, but then something happened. . .
A Glimpse of Halloween
What a perfect night for Halloween in suburban Chicago 2018. The temperature requires only a sweater. The sky displays layers of pale yellow to pinkish-gray, reflecting onto golden glowing trees.
Continue reading “A Glimpse of Halloween”
Home for the Fourth
Hello. I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July week. Despite the doldrums, mine was superb. Watched fireworks, went to a festival, rocked to a couple of my favorite bands, and saw a movie (Incredibles 2).
Funky
This post is not about me playing funky music. Nope. It’s sort of the opposite. I’ve been in a funk lately. I haven’t been in the mood for posting. It’s not that I don’t have ideas, because there are several subjects and notes stewing, patiently waiting for their turn to be revealed.
Baking, Thanksgiving and Dysfunction
I hope everyone is enjoying family, friends, feast and some fine goodies. May those who don’t celebrate this American holiday be blessed as well.
I just finished making pumpkin cookies for Thanksgiving treats.
American Culture
Parentless
Sweet Spot
So, what do you think of when you hear the words “sweet spot?”
Ode to Family Dysfunction
In all honesty, due to the circumstances in our world today, I haven’t felt much like blogging.
So, today I thought I’d share a clip from my finished novel that I’m shopping around. Okay, so it’s still trite in comparison to the tension in the world, but what I’d give for the days of just simple, good old family dysfunction.
Since Thanksgiving is this week, the below excerpt from my novel Whit’s End shows the Whitaker family dysfunction regarding that holiday. Perhaps some people can relate.
Bridges and Beaches
My husband and I were in our twenties when we first moved to Florida from Chicago. We settled in a nice central location. We lived 50 miles from the gulf beaches and about 65 miles from the infamous theme parks. Being so young at the time, we frequented them all.
Return to the scene of a Valentine’s Day non-Date
I’m not a fan of Valentine’s Day. I feel like it’s a superficial way to force couples to remember each other. And, somehow it seems like it’s all the man’s responsibility to do something to celebrate. Anyway, I prefer when the love flows naturally. We ignore the holiday by attending a fun filled food affair (can you tell I like alliterations?).
Continue reading “Return to the scene of a Valentine’s Day non-Date”
Family Gratitude
Who wouldn’t want to spend Thanksgiving week doing this?