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April 24, 2025

Healthy Popsicles That Make Summer Sweeter

Consider the humble popsicle. A nostalgic symbol of sticky fingers, grass-stained knees, and that sweet relief on a blazing summer day. But here’s t

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Food, Fun, Health
April 16, 2025

Time to Reflect, Release, Move Forward

Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover, or simply welcome the longer, brighter days of spring, this time of year invites reflection. It’s a season o

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Family, Food, Health, Personal Development
April 10, 2025

How to Stop “Night Worrying”

Ever find yourself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling while your mind races through tomorrow’s to-do list, replaying conversations, or wondering i

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Health
April 2, 2025

Four Cheers for Angelos and a Birthday Recipe to Reel You In

If you’ve been following my blog for several years, you may recall my weekly posts that were written comparing the size of my friend’s baby in ute

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Family, Food, Fun, Health
March 27, 2025

Springtime Tips for Home and Health

Spring is here, bringing longer days, warmer sunshine, and the perfect opportunity to refresh our spaces and our diets. Just as nature renews itself,

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Food, Health
March 20, 2025

Spring into Spring

The spring (vernal) equinox happens on Thursday, March 20 at 5:01 A.M. EDT, marking the moment when the sun crosses directly over the Earth’s eq

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Food, Health
March 12, 2025

Natural Ways to Tackle Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies occur when your immune system mistakenly identifies harmless substances—like pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds—as dangerous

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Food, Health
March 6, 2025

Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the Kitchen MVP

When it comes to cooking oils, not all are created equal. While seed and vegetable oils like soybean, corn, safflower, and canola are common in proces

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Food, Health
February 27, 2025

Are You Stuck in the “I’ll Start Tomorrow” Loop?

Ever told yourself, “That’s it! Tomorrow, I’m eating healthy!” And then tomorrow shows up, and you think, “Eh, maybe next week.” Guess wha

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Food, Health, Personal Development
February 20, 2025

Simplifying Dinner with HelloFresh

I recently stayed with a friend and when I offered to cook dinner, she presented me with a brown paper bag that said “HelloFresh” on the outside.

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Food, Health

One of Life’s Difficult Questions…

March 15, 2012
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Family, Spiritual

 

My son, the one who is eighteen, approached me with this question.  “Do you ever feel like you won’t have enough time in your life to do everything you want to do?”  My answer.  “Yes.”

He began to tell me how he has thought of so many things he would enjoy doing in life, then wonders how it will all work out.  I know exactly how he feels.  It is almost as if by the time we think we start to have things figured out, we are in the “second half of life” and hoping for at least a few more years to get it right.  God willing.

The twist is that we need all those “first half of life” experiences, every single one of them, to show us the way.  Some folks may not get to the “second half” stuff, for whatever reason.  Others may arrive a bit sooner.  Our age does not define this.  When we manage to work through the pain of falling, which is the doorway to the “second half of life” we cannot help but be changed.  We then begin to focus on what is most important in life, with no time to waste.  What a blessing! 

How do we live out the second half?  Some ideas:  we are more compassionate, more accepting; our core beliefs are woven into our being and are unshakable; the adventures of each day are just that-an adventure; we live out of our comfort zone more often than not; we are guided more by Spirit than by rules; loss and pain are part of the journey, yet our joy cannot be tampered with.  Just to name a few.   

My young son has a lot of living to do.  I look upon him with compassionate understanding, grateful to be where I am.

“There is a deeper voice of God, which you must learn to hear and obey in the second half of life.”             Richard Rohr

May We Never Be Indifferent

February 9, 2012
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Hope, Love, Spiritual

 

Today is my birthday.  I am blessed beyond measure and am Living Large.  Friends have been posting birthday wishes on my facebook wall throughout the day.  Many have called or texted me.  I received a few cards in my mailbox and a dear friend treated me to lunch and her company.  Yes, my family remembered as well.  Life is sweet.

So what is there to be indifferent about?  Lots of happenings in our world today are not in line with what would fulfill a great birthday wish, that is, as long as all the candles were blown out.  Harmony on the planet.  Wow!  That is tough to even wrap my head around.  Not meant to be, or it would be.

I recently read a book entitled The Other Face of God by Mary Jo Leddy.  The book club I belong to chose this book.  We finished discussion on the book last night and we all thought it was a great read.  The reason we enjoyed The Other Face of God so much, is because it made us think and question and discuss and be honest with ourselves about the imperfectness in our world.  And what do we do with that?  How do we make a difference?

We first have to realize that we all make judgments on all sorts of events and people and circumstances.  Not good.  We base our judgments on what we know to be true in our foundation.  What we think may not be right or wrong; it is simply how we think.  Trouble comes about when we have to be right at the expense of being a good disciple.  Serving in love, even when it is difficult, is a tall order.  The other side of that is the thinking that nothing I do will make a difference anyway, so why bother?  We can all take small steps to make a difference in someone’s day, to make it a little brighter.  Pay it forward as the saying goes, and expect nothing in return except that warm fuzzy feeling inside that makes us smile.

Do we love each other enough?  How do we even measure such a thing?  Something to ponder, on my birthday.  I have people in my life who love me.  That is awesome!  Guess I had better get busy and make a difference, after I enjoy a piece of birthday cake. 

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.”  Edmund  Burke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Girls…Running…And Me

January 20, 2012
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Friendship, Fun, Girls on the Run, Health, Love

 

I have just returned from the 2012 Girls on the Run Summit, which took place this past week in Tampa, Florida.  The Summit is similar to what other organizations refer to as a convention.  We attended general and specific break-out sessions, had opportunities to go on group runs/walks and practice yoga together.  We shared meals, snacks and a sunset cruise.  We heard very good speakers, made new friends and snatched some sunshine.  As a board member on our Northwest Indiana Council, I was grateful for the opportunity to attend.  

What is Girls on the Run?  GOTR is an after school program for girls in grades 3 thru 5, that incorporates running to help prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.  This interactive program focuses on building self-esteem and improving emotional and physical health.  Each 12-week session (one in fall and one in spring) is led by trained female coaches that guide and mentor girls through a fun, uplifting and specific curriculum.

Life lessons include dealing with body image and the media, resisting peer-pressure, making healthy choices and contributing to the community.  Along the way, the girls train to walk or run a 5K event together.

I am not a runner and I have only raised boys, but I know what a challenge it can be to be a girl.  What a positive effect this program could have on a little girl who wonders if she is worthy of love…self-love and love from others.  GOTR has served over 400,000 girls since the first season in 1996.  If you are looking for a cause to help fill your life with purpose, GOTR is a great place to begin your search.

“The greatest act of bravery is simply being ourselves.”  Molly Barker, founder of Girls on the Run

For more information, go to www.girlsontherun.org and www.gotrofnwi.org    

Some Things Never Change

January 13, 2012
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Hope, Spiritual

 

There are days when I am sad about the governing in our world today, at every level.  How many times do I think, “How could this be?” and this is usually followed by another thought like, “God, what are you thinking?”

It is at this point that I am often reminded that so many things in life are beyond my control.  We are called to be faithful disciples and serve others the best we can.  We are called to love.  None of this is really about me.  I am not in charge.

So today, God set me straight.  He spoke to me quite clearly through the scriptures of 1 Samuel 8, found in the Old Testament.  Keeping in mind that I am not a theology major, here is the story in a very brief nutshell.  The people of Israel asked Samuel for a king, as he was up in years and his sons were not considered as an option to move up the food chain.  (They had their own issues:  they had accepted bribes and perverted justice, which was not acceptable behavior.)   Samuel was aware that the request for a king was a direct slap in the face of God, who protected them, loved them and was indeed, their Sovereign King. When Samuel checked with God about this, God reminded him that this was not a rejection of Samuel, but of God.  Samuel was instructed to warn them about the consequences of having a king, as the surrounding nations had kings, but to give them what they requested.

Samuel did exactly as he was told.  He spoke truth about how life with a king would be.  Bottom line:  not so rosy.  Life would be more difficult for them.  Even after Samuel spoke these words, “…you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.”  (From 1 Samuel 8:18 NIV)

Guess how the people responded?  They still wanted a king.  Samuel repeated this to the Lord, who answered to give them what they wanted. 

We must be attentive.  We must understand that our ways our not His ways.  We must trust.  And sometimes, we must feel sad.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

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