Where did the summer go? As the Iowa State Fair winds down, vacations come to an end, and school begins, I think about how quickly summer seemed to fly by. In our family our summers are spent participating in Farmers Markets, going to county and state fairs and trying to...
There’s this “calming” thing on my watch where I need to take deep breaths and settle myself. I’m supposed to keep the green background and stars flying - according to the watch. I failed. I almost hyperventilated breathing deep. It’s like golf for me - the most stressed I ever...
I am Missouri this week visiting relatives and spending time with my family. We ventured to Hannibal one day to explore, and while dining at a restaurant the waitress shared that my children were well behaved and had great manners. This always takes me back a step because as a...
I was at an Iowa Hospital Association board event last week in southern Iowa. They have this annual golf outing … the only things that stress me out worse than golf are live birds and the state fair, and so I decided to go look for Amish people. I had...
I’m not really sure where summer went this year, but it’s August already and school is right around the corner. My household is trying to complete back to school shopping, signaling an end to the lazy days of summer for my children. As I look at the calendar today I...
Having lots of conversations with people on how to “deal” with situations (conflict, etc.). When dealing with emotional situations the worst thing you can do is match the emotion - it just multiplies the pressure. In my humble “coachy” opinion, if you can rise above and see what is being...
“Traditions are our roots and a profile of who we are as individuals and who we are as a family. They are our roots, which give us stability and a sense of belonging - they ground us.” ~ Lidia Bastianich As one of our annual traditions before school, I took...
First of all - vote, Vote, VOTE next Tuesday for the Ambulance. We need the votes, and supporting the ambulance is supporting the hospital and communities that pay for the ambulances. The entire system in Wright County has expenses of $1.5 million (rigs, personnel, supplies, etc) and we are reimbursed...
“Police officers, firefighters, EMTs - they are all out there every single day - literally just a phone call away for anyone who needs them.” ~ Doreen Cronin After my article last week, Mary Goemaat reached out to me and gave me a beautiful location for some senior pictures for...
I just got back from vacation with a great group of friends from one of my favorite places, Okoboji, Iowa. We spent a lot of time boating, relaxing, and laughing. I am glad to be back to work, and excited to finish up evaluations and continue on with the next...