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Showing posts from 2011

Sacred Memories

The last thing I expected was for adult women to be crying. But here they were, standing in front of me, crying. It wasn’t a reaction I could have anticipated that morning. And it has caused me to wade around in a sea of ideas for the possible reasons that this could have happened.   I wanted to make certain that if this was a good thing I could explain it and possibly use this newly learned information in the future. On the other hand, if it was a bad thing, I wanted to be sensitive to where these women were coming from and not make an issue of the wrong things. Either way, this wasn’t something I had contemplated before now. Recently, I was asked to participate in a book signing at a convention for Moms of Twins and More.   This is an annual event, held in many locations, where moms of multiples can retreat, reconnect and relax with other moms whose life has been transformed simply by giving birth to two babies, or more, at the same time. They are part of a special club, or assoc

A Story Too Good to Not be Told...Again

This August27/30th finds life in a much different light than in previous years. What a difference 365 days make. For me, the scenary has changed yet again, job responsibility is blossoming, relationships are growing and opportunities are presenting themselves as if they were written long ago on the calendar especially for this day and time. It's a moment for reflecting and coming to the realization that everything has a beginning and everything has an ending. I applaud both, especially when endings allow somethings to be put to rest forever, after which emerges a beginning. It's staggering to think about the amount of change that happens during the course of just one year. Dizzying to say the least.  But what hasn't changed are the stories that we tell about our life and how we got to this place. Each year about this time, I love repeating the story that started my journey to Motherhood. I love repeating the details of how God was so gracious and loving that He gave me two

New Project: A little off my usual topics

I'm taking this opportunity to share with you a new venture that Michael and I are on...something that has emerged over the past year. Currently, he is teaching at the Institute for Environmental Education . He instructs and certifies contractors, business owners and workers in Lead-Safe Renovators Certification. Along with instructing, he is a consultant, a provisional lead inspector and a painting contractor. Frequently, the feedback after his classes includes comments that regulation compliance and documentation is tedious and time consuming. It has been our efforts over the past year to design and create an app that contractors, business owners and workers could use to make this part of their job easier. We think we're there. And it's about to be released. It's actually going to be kind of cool! Stay tuned...(pass it on if you know anyone in the field...)

It's All Too Much At Once

It's hard to explain. You know, the way it is when you are trying to retell a joke or convey the details of an event or describe something you recently saw. Failing in the effort to convince anyone of the validity of your story, you end the attempt by saying, "you just had to be there." As humorous as it may be, in many cases, you really do wish the person could have been there, sharing the moment with you, consuming the same experience that would give you hours of conversation late into the night. Your life was impacted so much by the events or details, that you wish that same thing for everyone you know. If you had the ability to arrange cosmic events to move in someone else’s favor, you would not even hesitate. This feeling I had earlier was just one of those times. I can try to explain it, but in my attempt, the weight and significance of the story could get lost. But it’s a risk worth taking. Today, I felt the love of God so strong, that through tears I had to ask

Nature's Way

I've known for a while that in the thick, expansive woods behind our house lived a rafter, or flock, of turkeys. Don’t have an accurate count, but there are a few. We've seen them journey on their path many times, with just small glimpses of their silhouettes as they are confidently but cautiously crossing the back woods. I’ve also known since last week that at least one of these turkeys has a little gang, all their own, comprised of about 8-10 little chicks. Having seen them cross the street up the hill last week, I was surprised, and my anticipation grew hoping that one day they would cross over my yard since we seem to be in their migration path. Well, today was that day. I literally had a thought that it would be really amazing to see them walk through the back yard. So real was the thought that I readied my camera, left it on the bar in the kitchen, and proceeded to get my work done. This was all at 5:30 this morning. Only about 5-10 minutes later, walking past the back

The Business of Doing Business

Simply stated, I’m at a crossroad, again. It's not a place with an actual stop light, clearly readable street signs, billboards or directional arrows telling me what to find in any direction. It’s not an intersection where I might find a police officer directing traffic and depending on which lane I’m in, he tells which way to turn. It’s not even an intersection where someone is handing out tracks that say ‘this is the way, walk (drive) you in it.” This one is in the middle of nowhere, with no signs or arrows, as if I had come to the end of the map and beyond it was blank. We, Michael and I, stop and look at each other, our glances suggesting that perhaps a wrong turn has been made somewhere on this journey. But clearly we know we haven’t, that’s one thing we know for sure. Clearly we know we have followed the path, mile by mile, and yet, seem to be in a place, whether real or perceived, that we didn’t anticipate. Over the years, there have been times when directions were crystal c

Grandparenting: A Role Like No Other

One of the most significant things you are giving to your children and grandchildren, no matter the age, is memories. Thinking about your own growing up years, it’s easy to think of times, events, and people that impacted your life. Each day there were incidents that shaped your thinking, piqued your curiosity, inspired your dreams, and captured your spirit. We don't remember each day, but we do remember those that were special in some way. Many times it was because these events were repeated, becoming a habit for the family. Many times it was because the activity took us by surprise and left an indelible imprint. Sometimes it was because in the moment, love was exchanged, changing our hearts and connecting us to another individual in an unforgettable way. Given the choice, the preferred impact would be a genuinely positive one, where that mark can be made and the memory can be captured. Negative memories have different impact on their lives altogether. But for the sake of this art

It's Finally Here!!

Wow! I never thought this day would arrive. It's kind of like waiting for a baby to be born. The first few months are very exciting, you begin to redecorate a special room in your home, buy blankets, bottles and pacifiers. The family begins to guess about names, whether it's a boy or girl and predict the exact date and time the baby will be born. Through the baby showers and special parties and lunches, you begin to realize this is really happening. As the months go by, it seems as though forever will come before the baby does! Then all of a sudden, there it is. And you wonder what all the fuss of waiting was about. The long wait is over and you have your new little treasure in your hands. No, I didn't have a baby. But, I do have a brand new book out entitled, "As I Grow Up and You Grow Down." It's my very first children's book and while it certainly doesn't resemble the birth of a baby, the time passed just the same. But it was worth it. :) Currentl

Business of Life

One of my earlier posts this year was about The Wave. I described to you that we miraculously saw God's hand wave in front of us as we were navigating our way into this new home. That was the end of December when we saw detail after detail just melt into permission that we were supposed to live here and nowhere else. We still look back, totally amazed, get a little teary eyed, thank God for His blessing to us and breathe a sigh of complete peacefulness as we know we are finally home. Having people help us move made it so much easier, and of course, we were completely grateful and thankful for each one of them. But that only lasts for just one day. After the movers are gone, the avalanche of boxes, the misplaced furniture and the bags of who-knows-what cause a severe case of claustrophobia and the job of migrating them from room to room really takes a toll on our physical well-being. A visit from four of our five children, and a grand-daughter, only two weeks after we arrived here

Guest Blogger Contributor

In place of my usual blog, I'm giving the space to Michael Daniele, sharing an article he wrote at work. Besides being my gifted, talented, smart husband (among other things), he is also a key component to helping others learn about lead safety guidelines that are instituted by the EPA. We didn't know how important a message this was until he began researching, learning about the potential dangers to anyone who comes in contact with lead. It's quite astounding. Many of our health problems today are as a direct result of coming into contact with lead during our lifetime. This isn't a theory, it's a fact. The largest segment of the population that is affected: babies and small children . It is for them that the message is so important. Awareness has brought about a significant reduction in the number of reported cases, but even one person being unknowingly exposed is too many. And there is no lead level in the body that is safe. Check out the links at the end of the a

The Way of Love

It's Valentines Day. Hearts, flowers, candy, champagne,  kisses and love. Does it get any better than this?! I could write hundreds of pages about love and how I feel about it, what changes it has brought to my heart, how it has affected so many around me, and how it's wrecked my life completely. I could write about my deep, unconditional, never changing love for my children. I could write about my deep, abiding, rich, fulfilling, unbelievable love with Michael. But I won't. The incredible articulation and expounding about love has already been written about in another book, chapter 13 of I Corinthians. I cannot improve on the best.  This is how God feels about love... "If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps,

The Wave

We have been in our home for two weeks already. In between shovelling out of snowstorms that have been pounding the area, there are boxes in each room that need to still be unpacked, window coverings that need to be hung, books that need to be put on the shelves and clothes that need to be put away. Just as we were getting enough done to be somewhat functional, four of our five children came to visit, along with our granddaughter, Lily. We have been overwhelmed and blown away by their presence, energy, laughter and joy. We didn't even notice or remember that we still have lots to do to be organized and efficient in our new space. Our plans to have a place for each one to sleep were successful, we had ample transportation and the menu selections worked out great. We ate out a couple too many times, but it didn't matter, we were together. As much as we marveled at the fact that we were together as a family, we still marvel at the absolute miracle that we are in this house at all