I’m a Mule in a Well!

Kelly_300x250I have a news flash for anyone who’s coming late to this party – life can be hard!

Not exactly news you say? We all know there are going to be tough times in every life. Sometimes bad stuff seems to be flying at us from all directions. Other times, even the good things in life bring stress ­– what opportunities to pursue, what dreams to chase, when to say yes and how to fit it all in....  more

 
 
 

Working Hard, Climbing Down the Ladder of Success

KellyIs anyone else ready to get off the hamster wheel? It’s one thing to work hard and get no results, but what about when you work hard, achieve just about every dream for yourself, and it doesn’t satisfy like you thought it would?...  more

 
 
 

Joyful Waiting

I hate to wait.  Does anyone like to wait?  Does it ever seem like that’s all you do?  If you have kids this is especially true.  Lots of wai...  more

 
 
 

Just Say NO

I’ve been saying “no” to a lot of good things lately.  The truth is, I think I say “no” to about 95 percent of the requests that come across my desk. So why would I do that?  Because one of the biggest things I’ve learned this year is that “good is the enemy of grea...  more

 
 
 

A Picnic Style Bento

Pictured, clockwise from top left: mixed greens salad with marmalade vinaigrette, chopped figs, and pine nuts; lemon curd with blueberries and ginger cookies; curried chicken salad; cucumber sandwich on english muffin; my bento wrap; packed up bento; couscous s...  more

 
 
 

Just Getting Started

Recently, a friend of mine visiting from out of town asked me what our retirement plans were. This line of questioning is getting more and more common as are the discount offers like pre-paid crematory services and coupons from The Scooter Store. I guess I need to look in the mirror…father time is marchin...  more

 
 
 

Letter from the Publisher

The signs are everywhere. Spring Break planning. Little League sign-ups. Warmer days, bluer skies and some new green sprouts and colorful blooms. And yeah, yeah, yeah… a little pollen is on the uptick, too, but let’s not let that get us down. It’s almost sp...  more

 
 
 

Do you do too much?

I’m kind of a do it yourselfer. I’ve come up in the ranks as a small business owner and never really experienced the good ole days of having a secretary or a maintenance staff at my beckon call. In a small business, if you see something that needs to be done, you just get up and d...  more

 
 
 

Anybody seen my big girl pants?

Wow, the hits just keep on coming. Work challenges, personal challenges, relational challenges, spiritual challenges – my challenges have challenges! Somewhere along the path these last few weeks, I’ve lost my way. It’s scary how quickly and easily that can happen. One week, I’m rocking along in a sea of skittles, rainbows and butterflies and the next, my little red wagon of hopes and dreams lay in waste along the side of the road. My wheels have flown off and my precious cargo is strewn into the streets of despair and re...  more

 
 
 

Thinking stuff up is easy

Thomas Edison quipped that genius was 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. Given that he was a pretty smart fella, I think I’ll agree with him. Most people I talk to concur implementation is a far bigger challenge than coming up with ideas themselves, even though ideas seem to get all the g...  more