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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…

Hello All, I typically write my blog all week. I do a draft – I rearrange – I add and subtract – and, even after I send the final version, I see changes I wish I had made! So what you will read that follows this paragraph is the blog of the week. But after the events of yesterday, I just had to add this note. My thoughts, prayers and love go out the families and friends of our 13 U.S. Service members and the Afghan people who lost their lives in the senseless bombings in Kabul. Our brave military service members were true heroes. They were standing guard, helping…

Hello All, The King of the Blog – Ashish – knows I love learning about life and leadership lessons – things that make me reflect – things that push me to change – and things that I can share with others. He and his team were doing work around organizational culture and found this gem, and he said he knew I would want to see it. He sent me a link to a wonderful address by Admiral William H. McRaven. Four-Star Admiral McRaven, retired, is a former Navy Seal and served as the ninth Commander of the United States Special Operations Command. He served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.…

Hello All, I was sorry to see the Olympic games end! The games were truly a testament to the perseverance of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the people of Japan, and all of the athletes in the face of adversity, a pandemic of epic proportion. It was a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Thomas Bach, President of the IOC, closed the ceremony with these comments, “Over the last sixteen days, you have amazed us with your sporting achievements. With your excellence, with your joy, with your tears, you created the magic of the Olympic game.” And magical they were. The athletes touched our hearts. Their names and…

Hello All, Ahhh, the Tokyo Olympics are soon drawing to a close. The games definitely give me a new appreciation for sports – and truly an even greater appreciation for the athletes who dedicate so much time, blood, sweat and tears to their craft. I know it is tough when they don’t medal, but I hope they do not forget that they are there because they are the very best at what they do! Even if they came in last, they beat out competitors world-wide to be at the Olympics! These games have seemed like the kindest Olympics of all. I don’t know why. Perhaps because these athletes had to…

Hello All, Wilma Rudolph, American sprinter and Olympic champion, was the first woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic games in 1960 in Rome, Italy. Ms. Rudolph said: “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lies within each of us.” That is why I love the Olympic games – the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. It is why I am glued to the television screen when home, read on-line news for the latest updates, and listen to the radio in the car – I…

Hello All, What a fascinating 10 days or so – two billionaire astronauts! I do have a fascination with space, mostly because my dad worked at NASA. He loved space – he met astronauts – he saw the highs and lows of the space program. He would talk about this at dinner. I remember where I was when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon (“That’s one small step for man…..”) and when Challenger exploded (my dad was devastated). So I watched with interest these new adventures, which will eventually lead to space travel being as commonplace as getting on a plane. (Well, for some people! I am pretty sure I…