We Are the Sum of Our Choices

There's a snowman hanging in the corner in my living room. He's been there since Christmas... Two years ago. Every once in awhile I spot...

Fall is my favorite season. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing colors, I can wear boots and jeans... There's just something about...

It was a Wednesday night in the Smith household. Work was busy that day, productive, but busy and mentally exhausting. I had no desire to...

I try not to buy things that don't come pre-assembled. I'm just not mechanically-inclined that way (and I hate to ask for help). But...

There's a coaster on my desk that I bought at a little craft store awhile back. "Do what you love. Love what you do." It speaks to me...

Golden brown on the outside. Crisp and crunchy. Excellent covered with cheese, sour cream and bacon. Whoever invented tater tots has my...

18 years and 354 days. That's how long I had the blessing of living with this boy, having him under my roof, and knowing where he was...

I stood there waiting. And waiting... For my luggage to drop onto the carousel. I watched the people around me, waiting too. Some...

I thought I had enough time to finish my walk before the rain started. I was wrong. A mile from home, no place to go for cover. I had no...

I was out for a walk the other night and found myself pausing every few blocks to admire the clouds at sunset. Shades of pink, orange and...

One of my favorite things to do is hike through the woods. In our state or national parks, or even the little local parks near my house....

Three hours in a kayak. Before that night, I'd spent maybe 15 minutes in a kayak over the whole of my 47 years on this earth. I'd canoed...

The last couple years have been an adventure in my backyard. Multiple trees have come down, some intentionally, others coming as a...

On impulse the other day, I bought a new sign for my laundry room. "Sorting life out one load at a time" it says. Isn't that the truth? I...

CRACK! The sound was loud and sharp. And suddenly, there was a fracture in the windshield. It happened so fast, I wasn't really sure at...

There's corn growing between the cracks on my aunt's back patio. When we asked her about it, she said "I don't know. It just grew...

Coconut Caramel Dream. Or something fancy like that. That was the name of my ice cream choice on a visit with my son to officially...

In our lifetime, we travel lots of roads. Some lead to exciting places and people we love. Others take us to places we may not want to...

My oldest son graduated high school yesterday. And I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. So many memories running through my head,...

Saturday morning I went for a run. Not out of the ordinary for me. But this one was different. I was staying at a hotel in LaCrosse,...