You know this already, but I'm a complete nerd. As more evidence of that obvious fact: one of my very favorite Christmas presents is a planner. It's glorious. Innovative, even. I've never seen a planner like it. (You can see it here.) It's like it was designed for my wacky brain, which wants to see … Continue reading Small Deeds To Do: Why I Love My New Planner
It's only been two days into 2024, but I can already feel the difference in the air. There's an energy. A feistiness. A buzzy, busy feeling. I'm seeing it in emails and newsletters, headlines and videos. The stock market is at an all-time high. Our economic recovery is the strongest of the G7. Inflation is … Continue reading Sharing Good News … Liberally
We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. ~Winston Churchill Each year at this time, our society pauses for a few moments. Today, I am doing the same. There's something about the shortened days, the colder nights - the comfort of an old quilt and a cup of … Continue reading A Seasonal Pause
In 2020, I started walking. Intentionally, that is. In the 2000s and early 2010s I had passively (though briskly) walked as part of my daily commute. Living in Chicago and using the train to get to work, I walked at least two miles a day. (1/2 mile to the train, 1/2 mile to the office, … Continue reading Small Steps, In Either Direction
Smile, breathe, and go slowly. ~Thich Nhat Hanh Well, friend – today's been a day. Every now and then (more often than I like to admit) the day gets away from me, and in the middle of the day I stop myself and ask: how is that I'm behind on everything? .... Or, at least, it … Continue reading Smile, breathe, and go slowly.
The Monday after Dobbs, a pediatrician in Ohio got a call from her 13-year-old patient's mother. Should we put my daughter on birth control in case she is assaulted? The mother wondered. Dr. Lauren Beene – an Ohio pediatrician, not an OB/GYN – had to admit that this mother's question wasn't outlandish. And just like that, … Continue reading What’s the Rush?
Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. ~Booker T. Washington The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer someone else up. ~Mark Twain Today is Giving Tuesday. (I'm certain you are aware of this, if your overflowing inbox is anything like mine.) Which reminded me of … Continue reading Giving Tuesday: A Plumbing Disaster With a Great Ending
What's stopping you? ~John V. The third week in November is always a reflective one for me. It's Thanksgiving Week, so it's a good time to spend time thinking aboutwhat I'm grateful for. But it also marks another anniversary. On a bright and sunny afternoon seven years ago, I sat in a cafe, at a … Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving + Happy Birthday!
Our family just got done reading Guts & Glory: Revolutionary War as a bedtime read. It's technically a history book, but it's entertaining and clever and everyone loves it. (Especially me.) It's a book filled with stories of everyday people doing absolutely extraordinary things. Like Captain Samuel Whittemore, a tough-as-nails 78-year-old New England farmer and … Continue reading Guts and Glory: 2024
Last week I was interviewed by Dan McCool, the founder of Blue Revolution, as part of their one-year-until-the-election event. (You can watch it here if you want: youtu.be/XL0eGeIyeTw Forgive the bad hair and terrible lighting.) One of the first questions he asked was: how are you feeling about 2024? My answer was three-fold. First, I'm … Continue reading Let’s All Be Anti-Regret
Small Deeds Done 