My Special Needs Son…Why I’m Running My Butt Off for Friendship Circle of Wisconsin

Our son turns 17 in December. For most boys his age, this would be a time of driving himself and friends, wanting a car of his own, preparing for college…getting ready to spread his wings. For my son, things are a little different, even without this Covid mess. He has 15 hours of therapy a

This week’s parsha has the dramatic story of Noah and the Flood. It’s fitting that today is one of those days where it seems like the rain will never end. In the story, though, Noah toiled for a long time building the arc with no sign of the flood to come. Having done a little

What IS the Best Diet for Health, Weight Loss, and Longevity?

I’m a bit of a nutrition nerd, even if I don’t always follow what I learn. If you come to my house, you’ll see bookshelves lined with books about nutrition, often conflicting each other. I’ve tried almost every “diet” out there, from low carb, to paleo, to high carb, high fiber, to vegan…and everything in

Let There Be Light: Focusing on the Positive In a Rough Week

This week has been a doozy. Yesterday, my husband learned that he has to undergo yet another surgical procedure related to the surgery he had back in late August. Since that surgery, he’s been in and out of the hospital with fluid collecting in his pelvis and in constant, unrelenting pain. Our lives have been

There is NO Perfect, One-Size Fits All Plan…For Anything.

I have always loved a good plan. I love planners, full of pages ready to be filled. I love lists waiting to be checked off. I love all the order and all the potential. Each time I come up with a new plan or program, I’m excited. Recently, I was SUPER excited about a new

Book Review: The Courage to be Disliked

Ok, I’ll admit it…I had to force feed this book to myself. Don’t get me wrong, it has a lot of really good points, but reading it was like shoveling plain bran cereal into my mouth, one spoon at a time. It helped a little that I read most of it while my husband was

Ignoring My Inner Critic

I have a voice inside (not a literal one, but it’s the best way to describe it) that isn’t very nice. It’s this voice that pipes up whenever I’m getting ready to try something new and it always is quick to point out all the reasons I’m destined to fail. Maybe you have this voice,

Choosing Joy Amid Constriction

This time of year is a tough one. For most people, the days are getting darker and shorter and the weather cooler. The trees are changing colors, which is beautiful, but slowly leaves things more and more bare. School is in full swing and work is often hectic now before the regular holidays hit. If