By: Sandra L. Churchill Summer is abloom with bubblegum petunias, Shasta daisies, sweet roses, and wild lavender. Gardeners everywhere bend on soil-stained knees, patiently attending to blossoms and vegetables alike, nurturing their tender leaves and stems to vibrant, dewy verdure. But in recent weeks, I have been pondering the possibility that not all gardeners raise … More A Gardener of Hearts and Souls
By: Sandra L. Churchill Call it the Pride and Prejudice-loving, timeless romantic in me, but there is nothing so endearing and charming as a hand-written letter. A note of encouragement, get-well card, or just-because friendship letter, thoughtfully penned and snail-mailed, is such a testament from one human to another that he or she matters. The … More You’ve Got Mail!
By: Sandra L. Churchill Growing up with traditional manners in my childhood home meant writing thank you notes, mostly to faraway relatives who sent birthday or Christmas presents. Once in awhile, there were special notes written to teachers or scout leaders, church volunteers, or others in response to kind gestures, awards, and such. The simple … More A Simple Thank You Goes a Long Way
By: Sandra L. Churchill Many of us are so tapped out by the energy-sapping likes of quarantines and Covid restrictions, that New Year’s resolutions seemed like one more demand on an already strained schedule. It’s not necessarily that we are doing “too much” when we examine our days, but for many of us as parents, … More Setting Goals for a Stellar 2021
By: Sandy Churchill The year 2020 will go down in the history books as a wacky, upside-down time when nothing was normal, “socially-distant” became a buzzword, Zoom became a lifeline for school and work, and all of us became fashionably “masked.” While we did our best to take health precautions, adapt as much as possible, … More Silver Linings at a Covid Thanksgiving
By: Sandy Churchill Every mom needs an “I-Can-Do-Anything-Sweater.” I am not sure when this started or how it became a staple in my fall wardrobe, but for me, it is here to stay. My power sweater is a gypsy-looking, striped maxi-sweater in shades of mocha. I truly feel I can do anything in this sweater. … More The I-can-do-Anything Sweater!
By: Sandy Churchill I love the spirit of “positivity” and “making lemons out of lemonade”—and truly, the COVID-quarantining-mask-wearing-social-distancing world we are currently living in is an ideal place where a sense of optimism and hopefulness is needed. A friend recently launched a “lemon-themed” Bible study in her newly-revamped garage-turned-girl-cave where she decorated a Christmas tree … More Choosing Positivity and Making Lemonade Out of COVID Lemons
By: Sandy Churchill Someday, we will look back on this wacky Coronavirus time—perhaps referring to it as the “pandemic pandemonium”, “COVID chaos”, or the “plague of 2020”. For now, however, we are navigating tough times. Some are struggling with the total upset of routine and freedom, confined at home and perhaps overwhelmed with concerns about … More Covid Cancellations: Embracing Flexibility and Silver Linings
By: Sandy Churchill Just when we think we have marriage—or parenting—figured out, nature throws us a curve ball that can start with the smallest thing. Truly, I am never ceased to be amazed by this. When we have practiced our communication skills, worked on predictable stress phases, and done our part to help keep balance … More Never Too Old to Learn
By: Sandy Churchill We know that nature abounds with opportunities for exercise and fresh air, but what about the gifts of stress relief, peaceful connection, and pure joy? On a recent bout with an incredibly stubborn bronchial infection I have maintained my near-daily, two-mile walks, regardless of wind, rain, fog, and hail. I didn’t say … More Nature’s Gifts, Year-Round
