As part of a recent women’s retreat, we were asked to gather into a circle at the beginning of the day. Chairs were already in place, as each woman arrived and claimed her temporary spot. It’s always interesting to watch the dynamics of personalities as the group of strangers come together.

Prior to the purchase, the house wasn’t visible from the road, due to overgrown brush and trees. As I pulled into the long driveway, I could see a darling cottage style house peeking through the trees; much of the overgrown brush had been removed. I felt such happiness for my son and his fiancé as their first home together was warmly lit up, and I could see them working together inside. They had done a wonderful job over the last month with their little cozy cottage in the woods.

This past weekend, I went away with my bestie and her husband to Door County, Wisconsin for a long, overdue get-away. My friend and I had planned the weekend for months and had signed up for a “Cultivating Mindfulness” retreat.

In an act of kindness and appreciation I couldn’t believe what they created and shared our last night in the office. They had planned, cooked and beautifully arranged a special traditional meal, called Boodle Fight for us to share as a team, one last time.

My extended business trip will be coming to a close soon. As I look back at the time away from the place I call home, it’s been interesting and rewarding. I’ve met new people, experienced new adventures, learned about a different culture, and feel blessed for doing so.

The first weekend arrived as I pulled out the instruction book of sorts on the appliances, but they didn’t really give many directions, however, the washer/dryer combo looked easy enough to figure out. I sorted my clothes and started to throw in the first load but had to reduce the clothing amount, due to the small size of drum. OK, I can adapt, after all, I had all day if needed.

While away on a business trip, getting immersed in the culture was important. My colleagues and I were open to experience both the food and culture; however, we were enlightened much more than we anticipated. The people we met or even just encountered during our stay were kind, friendly, giving, and hospitable.

A recent business trip took me half way around the world; a thirteen hour time difference to be exact. I try not to worry into tomorrow, however, this time there wasn’t any effort, the flight took me there….HA. For some reason I couldn’t quite figure out the timing for days.

A short while ago, I was presented with an opportunity to help improve the life’s of people in a far away land. Helping these people will ultimately affect those presently around me, and some days feels like a heavy burden. The two groups will work together to become a strong united team that’s customer focused and driven.

Recently, my daughter decided to have Tillie the kitten spade, and called while scheduling the procedure; wondering if I would commit to bringing her in on surgery day since she would already be at work. I agreed since my schedule was more flexible. I have to admit right up front, I volunteered out of necessity, but wasn’t looking forward to the day.

Four of the five ended up having to take two cars because of all the items each person brought. It was quite the spectacle as the unloading began. We needed not one, but two shopping carts that were available for use. The service elevator was jammed full from top to bottom, I couldn’t get to my phone or I would have taken a picture; it was hilarious.

My son and his girlfriend have been dating for five years, and recently put an offer in on a house, and I knew the next step would be engagement. Whenever I get the chance to have one on one time with my son, we always have good conversations. Several months ago he mentioned his goal in their relationship was to buy a house first, and a ring second, however her goal was the ring first and house second.

Being a mid-west girl, I happen to live in between two bustling cities. It seems there’s always plenty of adventures to discover; but there’s certain adventures I find myself going to again and again. A few weekends ago I went with friends to Milwaukee’s Irish Fest; which happens to be the world’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture. It had been a few years since I’d been back; I really missed it. The event was nestled along the rocky shores of Lake Michigan, which made for a beautiful backdrop, and the day and weather couldn’t have been nicer.

Most of the early morning sky looked like a typical summer day; sunny one minute and cloudy the next. However, later morning clouds began to roll in that just hung in the air. As the time neared closer to the phenomenon, people began hustling and bustling about, filing outside one by one to get a look. 

Tillie is a social kitten and isn’t afraid of friends and family. She is playful and has the sharpest claws; my daughter and I have plenty of playtime scratches to prove it. From the time of her arrival, she is often perched on my shoulders, chest and neck. Tillie’s like a parrot, or a pirate kitty, as I sometimes like to call her. She refuses to let me do anything without her getting involved. If i’m laying down she constantly leaps on my head!

Most Sundays you’ll find me sitting in the fourth pew from the front, on the left hand side, directly behind my parents. I’ll be the first to admit, after a long week some Sundays I would rather stay in bed, but usually get myself up, and always feel better when I do. Recently, while making announcements, the pastor asked the congregation if they had been out to visit the prayer garden this season. Sheepishly, I shook my head……I was embarrassed I hadn’t taken the time to notice or give thanks to the people responsible for its beauty.

If you’ve followed my posts in the past, you may have read how much I love being near water. While vacationing in Bermuda, my girlfriends and I spent most of our time either in or near the water…..you could call us, Nauti-Girls…..HA.  The trip’s timing happened to coincide with America’s Cup yachting race, however on the days we were in the area the teams were either practicing or resting. All teams had been eliminated with the exception of New Zealand and the USA which would be competing for the victory.

The ship had everything a person could dream of, or even imagine. Early each morning the day’s itinerary was slipped under the door. It was a four to five page document filled from corner to corner with all the day’s events and opportunities. It was overwhelming to say the least. There were several events every hour on the hour and most times it was impossible to decide. You literally could be doing an activity every minute of every day.