I was just in Peoria, IL, right after my niece’s extraordinary wedding because my dad had another major stroke in mid-September. He’s currently in a fantastic rehab/skilled nursing facility and doing a lot of physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I don’t know if he will ever leave, but at least they’re doing everything they can [...]
My first involvement of being involved with a nonprofit was somewhat unconventional. About a year after I moved to Sheridan, my brother was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Scared and wanting to do something proactive, I met another Sheridanite who had fought and was beating the same disease. His family and a few other passionate friends [...]
Did everyone survive Thanksgiving a few pounds heavier but with familial relationships mostly intact? ‘Tis the season for ugly political discussions over the big bird. There’s nothing quite like mixing alcohol, simmering resentments, buttery carbohydrates, and long-term misunderstandings to make for unfortunate dinner conversations featuring raised voices and pounding fists. Here at the CVC, we’ve [...]
If you missed the ads in between the political spots, it's back-to-school time. I have no idea why January, February, and March can’t go by as fast as June, July, and August, but they don’t. It’s a cruel cosmic mystery. My 17-year-old son, Nick, is a senior this year. This is impossible to fathom. I [...]
I’ve recently returned from our youth leadership camp, CampFIRE. Thirty-six incoming high school freshmen from Sheridan and Johnson counties kept Julie, I, and the YMCA camp counselors active and on our toes. It’s a 5-day, 4-night camp up at Camp Roberts above Buffalo, and I am not exaggerating when I estimate that 65-90% of the [...]
I find it mind-blowing that we hosted Thrive vs. Survive Study Circles on Poverty ten years ago. Ten years! My children were ten and seven, my face was unlined, and spare time was a distant dream. Now I have teenagers who drive, I read novels, and our community has Parent Liaisons, a Big Brothers Big [...]
March 31 was a big day for my friend, Sandra. When you read this, she will be one of the few, the proud, the voluntarily retired. I know this because she's been making her friends look at the retirement countdown on her phone daily. Sometimes more than that. And once in a while, we'll even [...]
Believe it or not, I can actually focus and finish a project within a specific timeline, all my procrastination and distractions notwithstanding. I’m not saying I complete the project with lots of breathing room to spare but I do adhere to deadlines. Such was the case last week when I was feverishly editing the Study [...]
I’m just going to put it right out there. Partially because many people don’t, won’t, or can’t, and partially because you’ve already learned all sorts of things about me as a regular reader of this column. You already know that I’m an eternal optimist, somewhat scattered, easily distracted, tardy at times, enthusiastic, and in constant [...]
When Ashleigh Snoozy, esteemed Sheridan Press editor, asked if she could write a series of articles on the CVC, I was delighted. How can you beat above-the-fold publicity on three different days about your organization? Obviously, an opportunity was lost not to have my puppy, Lloyd and I featured in a large photograph but Julie, [...]
