I love new calendars–they’re like a clean slate. On my new calendar, I like to pencil in my appointments and goals. The first of the year and the month we return to school are two times of the year that I use to reevaluate my goals, though I do try to assess them each month…
The Yuletide carols say this is the “most wonderful time of the year”. It is true that Christmas is a beautiful time with colorful lights, joyful music, and generous giving; but it is also a very stressful time of the year if we lose sight of the true meaning of the holiday. If I’m not…
Recently, I learned that my daughters enjoy whipping me down to the mat and testing me to see if I can get myself out of potentially dangerous situations. Their enthusiasm causes the instructors to chuckle and me to warn them not to hurt anyone, especially their “old” mama. The loud thwack as I hit the…
Family secrets always cause pain. The secrets Hannah Sterling discovers after the death of her mother are shocking, and her journey to Germany to find the answers to her questions only brings more disturbing news and some unsavory people into her life. Hannah’s mother had always been distant, so much so that Hannah felt unloved…
Betty Vetterli’s Matterhorn CD yodeled from my laptop. As the accordion pumped and the singer let out an echoing call, I was transported back to my childhood, sitting on my grandparents’ porch listening to the local radio station’s Swiss Hour. My maternal grandfather, 100 percent Swiss, tolerated my teenage self when I whined about whether…