When you attempt to describe a person, adjectives usually come easily. Take me for example. (I’m sure my family often wishes you would.) I have been described as enthusiastic, loud, happy, and loud. Shy and withdrawn will seldom be words used to illustrate me, nor will quiet. However, the quality I am Least Likely to [...]
Hello, everyone! I’m just back from a riotous time in Huron, South Dakota, at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo. That weeklong road trip was preceded by the statewide nonprofit conference, Collective Voices. The week before that was filled with 33 graduated eight graders at CampFIRE, the CVC’s youth leadership camp at YMCA of the [...]
Please help me out here. I’m having anxiety and need coping skills. It’s now June. June is my favorite month of the entire year. Both boys’ birthdays (two cakes!), warm weather, everything florescent green outside, and exuberant birdsong are hallmarks of June. Adorable goslings, bunnies, ducklings, and fawns abound. I exhibit misplaced optimism about the [...]
My, how time flies. I just returned from a trip home and was stunned that it’s been nearly 14 months since my dad had his stroke. After spending some time marveling over what seems like a miraculous recovery, I thought more about time and its elasticity. It’s been over seven years since my mom died. [...]
I am a proud graduate of the Leadership Sheridan County (LSC) Class of 2018, the 25th class, and clearly the best. Part of being in LSC is making the commitment to be involved with one of the modules for the next class. You and a couple of classmates are assigned a month and in charge [...]
I’ve had a rather huge week. I was nominated for the Chamber’s Spirit of Sheridan award a few months ago and, glorious luck, I won! It was so completely unexpected that I didn’t even invite my husband to the luncheon. I barely mentioned it in passing other than to tell my family that I was [...]
I’ll tell you right now – writing this particular column petrifies me. Unlike my past columns, which are mostly non-controversial, this one has a little something to offend nearly everyone if they try hard enough. But that’s why the CVC is hosting Community Conversations, constructive dialogue about difficult subjects. We’re tackling hard topics in a [...]
I’m proud and deeply grateful to live in a democracy. It’s a privilege and most times a pleasure. That is, until the political season. Then it’s a hideous slog through vitriol flung from all sides until election day. I don’t listen to talk radio (I don’t count NPR as talk radio), I don’t watch national [...]
I was casting about for a subject for today’s column when, in a fit of procrastination, I decided to clean out my email inbox. It didn’t really need it but it kept me from writing this column. Whatever it takes. In my cleansing, I came across some TED Talks I had saved from a year [...]
I write this from the center of South Dakota on the road home from Illinois. Yep, Cuz-o-Rama Road Trip 2018 has been a roaring success so far. There has certainly been some snarkiness and a marked lack of civility at times. However, considering we’ve got four adult-sized people and a lengthy 13-year old wedged into [...]
