Category Archives: News

Market Manipulation, Roasted Chicken, and You

I don’t know about you, but I get vaguely irritated when I realize that I’m being manipulated. And given the marketing climate in which our society operates, this means that if I don’t watch it, I spend two thirds of … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, Business, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Economy, Encouragement, Family, Food, frugal living, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, News, Random, shopping, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cheap, Practical — and Sort of Odd — Gift Giving

Last Christmas, because everybody was in financially challenging situations, we agreed to  go cheap on gifts — for everyone, that is, but the Toddler, who simultaneously performs the function of daughter/granddaughter/niece, depending upon who is talking about her. As grandparents, … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, children, Christmas, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Economy, Encouragement, Family, frugal living, gardening, Green, Growth, home, homeschooling, Humor, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Relationships, shopping, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Economics of Being Cool — and Frugal

Being frugal is chic these days. It’s exhilarating to go to bed knowing that you’re weird and out of step, and then burst into the kitchen the next morning as a dynamic, exciting, creative, green living, Chic woman of power and wisdom! … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Economy, Encouragement, Family, Green, Growth, home, homeschooling, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, shopping, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Is It Realistic, Following Our Dreams?

This week’s article comes with a visual — the Bold Innocence art print by Steve Henderson that encourages us to Dream Big! “Yeah, well I tried to follow my dreams but I got a big fat nowhere,” somebody told me … Continue reading

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“Performance Art” in Real Life

The idols are falling left and right. So one day I read that Lance Armstrong, the celebrated tour de France bicyclist, admitted to Oprah  that he had been using banned, performance enhancing drugs. Then the next day, there’s more performance … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, celebrities, children, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, grandparenting, Growth, home, homeschooling, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, Relationships, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Honesty — It’s Still a Lonely Word

I just finished reading one of those inspirational stories that is supposed to energize me but actually makes me want to rest my head on my paper-cluttered desk and weep. Let me summarize: Famous Person agrees to meet fans for … Continue reading

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If Pumpkins Were Money, I’d Be Rich

I just love getting stuff for free. Mind you, I’m not talking about taking advantage of people, finding any way I can to avoid paying someone a fair price for something they have made or done. No, I’m talking pumpkin … Continue reading

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I’m a Believer — So Are You

We disagree with one another a lot these days, but I think I’ve found three sentences we can all say, “Yes, that’s true,” to: 1) We are all born. 2) We all die. 3) In between, we operate each of … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Economy, Education, Encouragement, Family, Growth, health, home, homeschooling, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, media, New Year's, News, Personal, Politics, Random, Relationships, religion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Married — 30 Years — with Children

We started out young and dumb, and next week will find us middle aged and wiser. Tuesday the Norwegian Artist and I celebrate 30 years of marriage. One man, one woman, who decided to throw our lots in together and … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, Business, children, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, grandparenting, Growth, home, homeschooling, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, marriage, News, Parenting, Personal, Relationships, success, Uncategorized, walking | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

The Socks from Hell

I have conquered the Socks from Hell. It is not so much that I have subjugated these hand-knitted demons to their knees so much that I have brought them to my feet. Snugly, quietly, they embrace my very soles, and … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, home, Humor, knitting, Life, Lifestyle, News, Personal, Random, Style, success, Uncategorized, yarn | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments