2024 Mantra: Being Happier
“Happiness isn’t found in some finite checklist of goal that we can diligently complete and then cost. It’s how we live our lives in the process.” Arthur Books Not happy. Happier. I stole my 2024 mantra from a book co-authored by Oprah Winfrey and Arthur Brooks. After all, who doesn’t want to be happy? To […]
New Year, Same You
Did you know that 80% of New Year’s Resolutions tend to fail by February? And that, at best, 9% of people actually achieve their New Year’s Resolutions? These stats probably don’t surprise you. But, have you ever thought to wonder why? As someone who loves setting lofty, interpersonal goals, especially in the New Year, I’ve […]
2023: Favorite Book of the Year
“Of all the lies you tell yourself, perhaps the most common is that only if you do this or that, you will be accepted.” Mitch Albom, The Little Liar Mitch Albom does it again in his latest book The Little Liar. Somehow, he continuously manages to capture complicated, universal themes through the power of storytelling. […]
2023 Game-Changing Books
I kicked this year off with a focus on alignment. To live more like the person I believe I can be someday, while giving myself the grace to savor life in the moment. A lot of this is grounded in James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, which I continue to believe is one of the most […]
2023 Favorite Local Authors
Local is all in the eye of the beholder. I’m using it in the sense that these authors are local enough that I crossed paths with them AND absolutely loved their latest work. Equally as important was their ability to inspire me, encourage my writing (unknowingly), and reminded me to not compare my beginning to […]
2023 Local Gift Guide
It isn’t Oprah’s favorite things but since I find myself devouring her list only to think, we have equally as cool things I can buy here, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite local gifts. Coffee. Yes. I know it is predictable. But, here’s the thing, coffee shops truly serve as the third […]
Decadent and Delicious
Decadent and Delicious in Spooner World class chocolatier sets up shop in northwest Wisconsin When perusing the gourmet chocolate candy bar section in a Whole Foods Coop or specialty candy shops, visions of chefs in white hats pouring over their passion in Switzerland, Belgium, or France might come to mind. But, upon closer inspection, a […]
Day of the Dead
https://youtu.be/G4j4lnMExG4?si=xlm2inBgRvGNY40J Whose life do you celebrate today? I recently had the opportunity to share a few of my stories and thoughts on grief at the Chequamegon Unitarian Universalist Fellowship service dedicated to honoring those who have left this earth. It was a powerful service, not because of my words, but to hear others light a […]
Me Time
Long before solo vacations were cool, I found myself lost in the woods alone. Usually in fall. It became somewhat of an annual tradition – hiking to new places to photograph fall colors and waterfalls, shop, and visit roadside attractions. This annual habit evolved into a ritual that now provides an opportunity for an annual […]
What Have We Become?
Sometimes the universe is subtle. Other times, it plops a billboard in front of you. This is a story about the latter of the two. I’m writing this after a day of hiking in record high temps in God’s country as part of my annual get away to the UP of Michigan. It is a […]