The photo above is from Blink, a city-wide art projection festival in Cincinnati and Covington. This is the Cincinnati Museum Center with a man wearing a sports coat, arms raised victoriously. It was my first "Dad Spotting." I'd like to believe it was my dad assuring me, "Hey, I'm good. Just hanging out in one of [...]
Does just the thought of the holiday season make your heart race? So much to do, people to see, and things to think about. It's daunting. But there are oodles of ways to stay balanced and at peace during the busiest time of the year. It's your time, too, and with a few things in [...]
Above: "Throwback to [2015] Thanksgiving where [cousin] Dean Valavanis precariously placed his phone on fine crystal." A memory that makes me smile. Thank you! Merci! Gracias! Efcharistó! Whatever your language, showing appreciation will without a doubt, change your life. In 2014, I entered the holiday season after hitting the reset button on my life. Recently [...]
Hetch Hetchy at Yosemite - November 4, 2019 "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." African Proverb Yosemite National Park is breathtaking, especially in autumn. The grand valley, the daunting cliffs, the sunset bouncing off the giant walls of granite - it's majestic! In early November, [...]
(above: Flying Pig Fans - 4th & Garrard, Covington, Kentucky - May 5, 2019) Want to run a race? You're not alone. Motivation: Set a Goal Last October, I made a deal with my best friend, “I’ll run a 5K, if you lead that group.” We'd been chatting about things on our girls' weekend in [...]
Pic: My determined little girl marching off to Pre-K. Aidan Elaine, August 1996 (Repost from 8/2018) My Facebook newsfeed is loaded with adorable pictures of little ones heading off to school, teens hitting the high school circuit and parents dropping their "babies" on college campuses. I remember every phase of my kids' schooling, from [...]
{Reposted from 2017} Every wildly successful organization has a strong mission. They know why they exist. They know what their purpose is and have a vision for taking it into the world. Those organizations and leaders stick to their guns until the mission is accomplished or die trying! In "Start with Why," Simon Sinek states [...]
above: Spring of 1978 Andre was my brother. Today (4-24-19) is his 54th Birthday. He was two years older than me, but I was the responsible one. That gap grew even more in our “adulting” years. While I was steady, building a family and a home, he was unmoored and slipping away. None of us [...]
This is a pic of me on tv. Whhhaaattt? How'd that happen? Truth is: Being on the morning show was never a goal for me. Since last summer, I've done several short segments on local tv. I was invited to be on the air because of a blog I'd written called, Coming Out. A friend suggested I be [...]
The Golden Rule says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I’ve heard the problem with the Golden Rule is that we actually do it. How can this be a bad thing? It is, if we don’t love ourselves. How can we possibly give what we do not possess? Is loving [...]
