Hello All, I love this quote from Albert Camus – “Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.” I love the fact that every leaf changes to vibrant colors and showcases the landscapes in such different ways. Angie Weiland-Crosby said this so poetically – “Summer dashes off, her sundress flowing with greens; while Autumn slipped into a gown with jeweled seams.” Can’t you just visualize that? The deep reds, the majestic oranges, the vivid yellows, the brilliant burgundies. What a great picture for the change of seasons – from Summer to my favorite time of the year! Autumn is the time of delicious soups and stews. Roasted…

Hello All, I just could not seem to write about September 11, 2001 last week. Maybe I just had to get through last weekend’s events. It did make me think about how many impactful events have occurred during my lifetime and where I was at the time – and how they shaped my life. Each of you has had similar experiences – though some of you are too young for all of mine! Events that you remember vividly where you were and what you were doing. John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 at 12:30 p.m. (Central time). I had just turned 7 a few weeks earlier. I…

Hello All, When was the last time you had unrestrained joy about accomplishing a new skill or completing a new task? I thought about that this Labor Day weekend after watching Miss H, one of my adorable great-nieces, jump off the side of the dock into the lake’s cool water with NO FLOATIES! (I have the video to prove this momentous occasion.) The excitement – the joy – the “look Phyllis!” – the incredible sense of accomplishing a brand new skill, one that she had been working diligently to do. Plenty of swimming lessons – plenty of jumping into the water with her floaties on – plenty of tentative steps…

Hello All, I took Latin in high school – two or three years of it. It certainly wasn’t a language that was conversational; however, it was very helpful for nursing school and medical terminology – and sometimes for Jeopardy! Tempus fugit – time flies. It is amazing to compare 2021 to 2020 (for many different reasons!). I thought 2020 would never end – it was as slow as a snail. On the other hand, 2021 seems to be racing by. As author Richard L. Ratliff wrote, “Time is passing, not leaden, but sprinting on winged feet. Quick silver, slipping by.” Here we are at the beginning of September. Summer is…