September 15, 2026 Dear Friend, In my last letter, I talked about September being back-to-school season. Although teacher appreciation is not officially recognized until the spring of each school year, I think the beginning of the first semester is a great time to be intentional in encouraging teachers, admins, and all the support staff that it takes to make a school day run smoothly. But to take it one step further, encouraging others for whatever reason you have on your heart this autumn...
about 2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
September 8, 2026 Dear Friend, September means back to school. Do you embrace this time of year? For me, this feels more like a fresh start and new beginning than the new calendar year is known for. August and September mean new schedules, new teachers and friends, new opportunities, new activities, a new welcomed-after-the-heat-of-summer season, and the idea of finishing the year strong, on a positive note. āBe willing to be a beginner every single morning.ā -Meister Eckhart Somewhere I read...
about 2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
September 1, 2026 Dear Friend, It may not be a coincidence that after a long hiatus from writing these newsletters to you, my first letter back in your inbox is on September 1, which is World Letter Writing Day. Letters and cards and sending words to others has been a way I have dealt with this last (almost) year that Iāve been away from your inbox, a last almost year that has held a lot of life changes and adjustments for me and my family. Before I go further, let me say hello again. I donāt...
2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
October 25, 2025 Dear Friend, Last weekend I tagged along with my hubby for his work conference in Orlando. The hotel was like its own little beachy village and had beautiful details all around the property. I spent Saturday morning on a comfy couch near the lobby catching up my calendar and emails. When I looked up I saw the brightest, most colorful mural of herons. I grabbed this pic from the internet- I forgot to snap one of the wall from afarā¦ Iām not sure how I missed this wall as I was...
about 1 year agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
October 18, 2025 Dear Friend, I am sure you saw the recent news of the passing of Diane Keaton. She has become quite well-liked in our household over the years. The movie Baby Boom, from the 80ās, was something I often played when the girls were little and we had a lazy Saturdays piddling around the house. The Godfather was a movie of hers more preferred by my husband. And most recently, we all got into both Father of the Bride movies more than once during the wedding season we had with our...
about 1 year agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
October 11, 2025 Dear Friend, I am writing this newsletter from my momās house, where I have spent the last week. She is was in the hospital over the weekend and I came in to visit with her and help where I can. She is home now and we have shared lots of coffee, lots of quiet, and lots and lots of Chex Mix.š Itās always been something she loves and now, in her Picky Era, it is a snack she will actually eat. Soā¦ the holiday treat-making has started early for us! I had a couple of hours in the...
about 1 year agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read
October 4, 2025 Dear Friend, I love that October is here! As our girls were growing up, I always decorated quite a bit for fall, and specifically for Halloween. The way we dressed up the house was never over the top scary but was enough to bring some spooky spirit in the best of ways. Even though our nest is empty, I spent some time last weekend decking the Halloween halls for Brad and myself to enjoy. And when I sat down to savor it all at the end of the day, I had a melancholy feeling come...
about 1 year agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
September 27, 2025 Whatās on My Mind/Real Letters: Itās hard to believe itās been six months since my daughter got married. One of my favorite things that she and her husband decided to do for their wedding was to write each guest a letter. They divided and conquered their list of 200+ and wrote personal messages to each and every attendee. The letters served as part of the place settings. Sweetest.thing.ever.š¤ ā¦ the letters served as name cards for each place settingā¦ my letter that Iāll...
about 1 year agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
September 19, 2025 Whatās on my mind: We traveled quite a bit this past summerā¦ three places were new-to-me, never-been-before adventures. In the past, these exact type of travels would inspire me to bring home a souvenirā¦ a coffee mug, a small decor item, a memento, etc. Now that Iām in a phase of declutterring, these pieces no longer have a place to travel home in my suitcase. However, I did discover an old school souvenir that I could actually put to use in a meaningful way: the postcard....
about 1 year agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read