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Hello All, I haven’t written in a bit. I kept hoping that the world would get less topsy turvy – that our politicians would do the work that they were elected to do, which is supposed to be the work of “we the people”….and not the “work” to make the front page and stay/become “powerful”. I thought that perhaps the leaders would be brave and truly work on laws about safe/responsible gun ownership – including a ban on assault rifles. (Though I am grateful for the progress made.) And yet we have witnessed another weekend of more senseless mass shootings and unimaginable grief. I thought the Supreme Court would support…

Hello All, I know I have not written in a bit. I wanted to be sure that when I wrote that it would be constructive, and not a crazy rant about how insane our world is right now. And I do believe our world has gone nuts – there is a war overseas that threatens democracy – women’s rights are in jeopardy – books are being banned and burned – suicide is at the highest rate ever- gun violence is so high that for the first-time guns are the number one cause of death for children and adolescents (number ONE – that should give each and every one of us…

Hello All, I think this is the longest period of time that I have gone without writing to you! My apologies for the delay. The world has been a bit topsy turvy. And Bob and I went on a very delayed adventure! It started out as a vacation….. Many of you know I love tulips. They are happy flowers; they just make me smile. So in 2019 Bob and I made a decision to go on a riverboat cruise so I could fulfill a bucket list trip to the Netherlands to see fields and fields of tulips. As you know Bob, he did extensive research about the time of year,…

Hello All, I have been thinking a lot about leadership over these last few weeks. This terrible war has tested leaders all across the world. President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Ukraine has impressed me. I am thankful that the leaders of the democratic countries have stood together in ways we have not seen in years. The leaders in our own country have stood united – at least for the time being. Guess it is true that nothing unites more than a common enemy. This made me think about what makes a great leader. How do great leaders pull it together, unite their country (or their organization/unit/department), and make a difference?…

Hello All, What a difficult time for our global community. This unprovoked war is so terrible. I am forever checking news sources to stay updated. I am sending prayers for the leaders and people of Ukraine, for courage, for hope, and, ultimately, for peace. I have been astounded by their incredible bravery against tremendous odds. They are fighting hard – they are literally lying down in front of trucks to stop the forward progress of the Russians. They are demonstrating how important that democracy is – freedom is – their country is. They are the ultimate patriots. They are setting the example. Even amidst this war, love wins. We have…

Hello All, I usually try very hard to be apolitical in these blogs, though many of you know I have very firm beliefs. (And Bob would say I have no difficulty expressing them.) I try very hard to listen to both sides of a story/argument/position to help inform and impact the development of my personal stance on issues. I believe it is important to have open and honest discussions, even when it is difficult. I try hard to listen. I know I am not always right. And honestly, I intensely dislike bullies. Right now – I feel like our world has gone crazy. And you are forewarned – this is…

Hello All, I am in love with the wisdom of an adorable 4-year old child. If you have not seen the TikTok, Instagram or YouTube of the cutie snowboarding in her dinosaur costume, then I highly recommend you Google it. (If I could remember how the King of the Blog told me to include a link, I would have done it! Ahhh, the joys of being a Boomer!) Robert Garlow of Yakima, Washington, shared the adventures of his daughter Aubrin Sage. Aubrin Sage has been snowboarding since she was 18 months old. He knew she talked/sung to herself when snowboarding, so he added a microphone so he could record her…

Hello All, I have always believed that empathy is a superpower. It is a critical skill for leaders, regardless of the field. The ability to understand and share the feelings of another – the capacity to place oneself in another’s position – to walk in another’s shoes, if you will. It makes a huge difference in relationships, personal and professional. I have been thinking a lot about empathy this week, because of two people in wildly different professions. The first person is Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs. Last week’s football game against the Bills was a hard fought, excellent game – perhaps one of the most…

Hello All, Looks like three reasons to stay inside. Well, two good reasons and one that is not much fun. I will do the fun ones first. Ahh, snow. Our first big snowfall in a while. I have not historically been a big snow fan. My favorite quote about snow is one from Carl Reiner, “I find snow to be an unnecessary freezing of water.” I think it also had something to do with working in hospitals, and I was always worried about people getting to work safely. Hospitals never sleep, you know. Having said that, some of my favorite memories from multiple hospitals was setting up “hotels” and the…

Hello All, Well, are we really sure a new year has started? It sort of feels like 2021 decided to hang around a little longer! Because of this crazy feeling, I thought some feel good stories were in order! Six year old Kendall Rae Johnson from Georgia is quite the phenom – she is the state’s youngest certified gardener! She started gardening at the tender age of three. She learned from her grandmother, and has been “digging in the dirt ever since.” Kendall has learned how to grow from seeds, tested products to see what helps the veggies grow the best, and created her own compost heap. Her favorite vegetables…