Scheme of Things
Scheme of Things
Experiencing Magic
There was no particular reason why I thought five was the correct
number. But, it seemed an appropriate age to take my granddaughter to
her first Nutcracker. So, right after her fifth birthday, she and I, and
her mom, went to a matinee performance of the Colorado Ballet.
Feb 1, 2012 - 2:39:13 PM
Scheme of Things
Saying No to New Year's Resolutions
I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions. Sure, I've made dozens, all
with good intentions and a bit of magical thinking, believing this time
the resolution will stick, this time I'll lose the weight, balance my
life, or achieve the goal. This time things will be different.
Jan 2, 2012 - 11:22:17 PM
Scheme of Things
Life Is Like A Buffet Table
Watching them piqued my curiosity. I started noticing each diner emerging from the buffet line, eyeing their tray for choices. There were similarities, but no two identical.
Oct 7, 2011 - 2:48:46 PM
Scheme of Things
Seeing the Mountains
Bits and pieces of the man's life story emerged as two strangers, seated
directly behind me, visited during the flight. After overhearing the
reason why he was traveling to Montana, I was surprised when we landed
to notice that the robust middle age man behind me looked like everyone
else.
Sep 2, 2011 - 9:51:29 AM
Scheme of Things
A Bit of Reflection
A carved sign on a wall in a country store caught my eye. "All because
two people fell in love," it read. It got me thinking in this, our
anniversary month, how that saying relates to our lives.
Aug 14, 2011 - 7:06:20 PM
Scheme of Things
Life's Doors
Promising value in excess of the price, my little girl imagination saw each wrapped box as a treasure waiting to be excavated. I picked up one, then another and another, pondering which grab bag was the one for me. With my mom's warning of potential disappointment unheeded, I seized the largest from the basket and pulled allowance savings from my pocket to pay for my prize.
Jul 1, 2011 - 9:57:30 PM
Scheme of Things
Dueling Frames
Like dueling pianos competing for attention at Jellyrolls, a fun piano bar on the Boardwalk at Walt Disney World, the digital frames in my office are competing as well.
Jun 2, 2011 - 10:10:57 AM
Scheme of Things
Natural Inspiration
The hints commenced with the changing landscape, traversed by dramatic colors and intriguing rock formulations. I should have expected it. Although the travel guide provided a glimpse of what was coming, I was still not prepared for the majestic beauty and expansive, as-far-as-you-could-see, dramatic terrain of Bryce Canyon National Park.
May 2, 2011 - 2:36:32 PM
Scheme of Things
Failed Expectations
It wasn't the weekend expected. Following a couple weeks of complicated travel to multiple cities for several speaking engagements, I was eager for much needed renewal time to write and relax in our off-the-grid wilderness cabin near Glacier National Park.
Mar 24, 2011 - 6:38:54 PM
Scheme of Things
Killing Time
It was our first day of our family's vacation in Disney World, and the morning of our granddaughter's fourth birthday. We were an extended family doing a bit of exploration at Epcot before the reservation for her big surprise: brunch with Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Snow White, and other Disney princesses.
Feb 1, 2011 - 10:54:00 PM
Scheme of Things
A Different Friendship
Technical savvy is not among my best traits. So, when attempts at using a wireless printer continued to fail, I was gratified that I enticed the printer to finally print. Expectantly, I went to retrieve my queued pages, only to discover just one sheet in the tray. The error message on that page read: "Unsupported Personality."
Jan 4, 2011 - 9:58:55 AM
Scheme of Things
The Journal
Twenty-some years in the making, it wasn't a typical Christmas present. But it was, truly, a gift of a lifetime. Our son, the recipient, knew his father made periodic journal entries about the joys and challenges of raising him, about family events and world happenings, peppered with memories from his own life.
Dec 2, 2010 - 8:28:48 PM
Scheme of Things
Predicting Life's Weather
Where we live in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, more days than not, reading the day's weather forecast and experiencing the reality of that weather, makes me question how the prediction came to be. Today, for example, we're supposed to be "sunny with a few clouds and 68." Out my office window as I write this, rain has filled the day with a persistence and is not leaving anytime soon. Low hanging clouds have eliminated my view of a near-by lake, and the weather-bug gadget on my computer reads 49 degrees.
Nov 3, 2010 - 4:53:19 PM
Scheme of Things
Scary Voices
It was the year I first heard the kaleidoscope of voices. They harassed me for weeks over what I should be that night, providing ongoing commentary like: "Stupid idea;" "Boring;" "Not scary." Even the lure of Milk Duds, Good 'n Plenty, and Sugar Babies wasn't enough to make this shy seven-year-old decide it was fun to dress up, knock on doors, and speak to neighbors, let alone strangers. I hated Halloween.
Oct 2, 2010 - 6:30:23 PM
Scheme of Things
Thank You Mr. Jones
His deep voice and quick-firing speech left me uncertain and wondering if I'd understood his directions. It was clear he wasn't going to repeat them. It was also clear he expected his new eighth grade class to quickly engage in his topic of choice - social studies. Mr. Jones intimidated me.
Sep 1, 2010 - 9:46:00 PM
Scheme of Things
Like A Good Casserole
Anyone who knows me well knows I'm not into cooking. It's not that I'm a terrible cook, but you wouldn't confuse me with someone who was good at it. I've never had a culinary interest other than the eating part, and the joy of cooking personally eludes me.
Aug 1, 2010 - 10:03:56 PM
Scheme of Things
Different Stories
After a long weekend celebrating my husband's milestone birthday, we waited for our delayed flight home. With a tight connection in Salt Lake City, the odds were not in our favor as we boarded the regional jet in San Francisco.
Jul 1, 2010 - 6:58:53 PM
Scheme of Things
A Sense of Balance
Occasionally challenged with balance issues after three knee surgeries, I'm fond of the Wii Fitness program. It lures me to improve my balance with multi-dimensional ball-in-hole puzzles, obstacle courses, and snowboard runs. So, I was looking forward to my Wii encounter after an extended absence due to business travel.
Jun 1, 2010 - 3:18:45 PM
Scheme of Things
Weighing Our Coals
It was the morning session of a weekend developmental workshop a friend of mine was facilitating, and she'd asked me to sit-in. So on a Saturday morning when I'd normally be sleeping, I was instead listening to Chad's rant about his lack of success, his inflexible boss, and his ill-intentioned coworkers.
May 1, 2010 - 2:08:19 PM
Scheme of Things
The Way of the Lobster
Shell-less and hiding from predators for nearly two months until a new shell is formed, growth for a lobster is risky business. Yet instinctively the lobster knows it must endure this process again and again to survive. Recent life changes have me feeling a lot like that lobster.
Apr 1, 2010 - 9:43:22 PM
Scheme of Things
Seeing The World
Connecting with our two granddaughters via web cam makes a pleasant Sunday afternoon event. So it was last week, hearing about the excursion to the zoo and an upcoming playmate's birthday party from the just-turned-three-year-old. Noticing her sister in the background I asked, "So how's your sister doing?" "Okay Nana. But she's still not walking!"
Mar 1, 2010 - 4:45:28 PM
Scheme of Things
Heart Stories
The picture sits on my desk. I'm not sure why I like it near me, but I do. Accidently discovered in a tattered box in a shed at my mother's house, my great, great grandfather's picture brings more questions than answers.
Feb 8, 2010 - 11:51:07 AM
Scheme of Things
Celebrating Birthdays
Spoken like a seasoned life traveler, the words from my three-year old granddaughter came as an assumptive statement of fact following our shopping excursion. "I don't like old people," she told me. "Well, I'm old and you like me," I said. "No Nana, I don't like old people." I know what she means. I don't like old people much either.
Jan 3, 2010 - 3:06:53 PM
Scheme of Things
The Camera
It wasn't any camera. It was the revolutionary Kodak Instamatic, housed in a shiny black case, with a built in flashcube, using a 126 cartridge. All my high school friends had one, or so it seemed to me. I told my parents it was the only gift I wanted that Christmas.
Dec 3, 2009 - 11:28:35 AM
Scheme of Things
Casual Comments
"Nana, when I get older I want blue eyes," my nearly three-year old granddaughter remarked, prompting a discussion about eye color followed by praise for her dark brown eyes. Still she persisted in her wishful thinking, telling to her grandfather, mother, and father that she was going to be getting blue eyes soon.
Nov 1, 2009 - 7:29:24 PM
Scheme of Things
Unexpected Pleasures
How many times have I been on this road? Fifty? A hundred? Each one accompanied by beautiful pleasures: an overflowing spring river, a forested fall tapestry, a majestic summer sunset, a topped off wintry peak. But this time the delight was an unexpected one. Only a few miles into Glacier National Park, a momma grizzly, followed diligently by three first-year cubs, briskly walked across the road a few yards ahead. Even in northwestern Montana this kind of sighting is a rare treat.
Oct 5, 2009 - 11:37:48 AM
Scheme of Things
Only Issues
I nearly missed hearing him. Attending the national speakers conference during a particularly complicated and challenging week, I decided to skip the luncheon in order to gain two hours to tackle mounting emails and deadline work. But a persistent inner voice reminded me that I should take advantage of the conference. After all, why had I come?
Sep 2, 2009 - 1:45:46 PM
Scheme of Things
EVERYDAY ACTIONS
Enthralled with the majestic surroundings on a recent Washington DC trip, I was inhaling the experience as my husband, Dan, and I walked to a lunch destination a few blocks from the White House. A flawless weather day, the outdoor cafes were thriving with suited men and women.
Aug 1, 2009 - 4:18:49 PM
Scheme of Things
Needing And Wanting
"I need a bar," her two-year old voice stated, referring to a breakfast bar she sometimes eats. "No," I said coaching her on word usage, "you want a bar." "No Nana! I need a bar," she loudly restated in case her grandmother (that's me) hadn't been tracking her request.
Jul 1, 2009 - 6:07:08 PM
Scheme of Things
State of Mind
The call came as we were leaving on a typical Montana Friday. Whenever possible, my husband and I spend the weekend at our off-the-grid cabin on the North Fork of the Flathead River. Today we were anxious to get the car loaded, enjoy the beautiful weather, and begin a relaxing jaunt to our mountain oasis.
Jun 2, 2009 - 11:21:09 AM
Scheme of Things
From the Inside Out
Like a music box waiting for a button to be pushed to play its song and reveal its inner beauty, I've found myself waiting, at times, for the equivalent of a button-push in my life. I call it my when-button. Over the years that button has included many "whens:" when I lose weight; when we move to Montana; when finances get stronger; when the next book is under contract; when I have more time; when ... when ... when.
May 2, 2009 - 11:37:44 AM
Scheme of Things
Today's Fountain of Youth
A hundred years ago, the woman my granddaughter was named after was a young girl. The average wage-earner was paid twenty-two cents an hour, few homes had bathtubs, and ninety-four percent of Americans didn't finish high school; not to mention the social inequities, medical perspectives, and travel limitations of those times.
Apr 1, 2009 - 4:19:06 PM
Scheme of Things
Word Flowers
It was a purchase made years ago, fading now like wallpaper into the background. At the time, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and my parents' dream of a retirement filled with family, friends, and exploring the world was obliterated.
Mar 8, 2009 - 11:20:38 AM
Scheme of Things
They Count
In second-day clothes after a canceled flight, we used the provided kits to brush our teeth and create some semblance of presentability for this unexpected stay. Working from a darkened hallway after room check-out, we waited for the evening shuttle to take us back to the airport, hoping for a positive outcome during this winter blast.
Feb 2, 2009 - 11:52:46 PM
Scheme of Things
Life's Illusion
Her words stopped me. I knew she was right and yet my illusion of a happily-ever after fairy tale life clung like a barnacle to my soul. Describing years of despair after being widowed as a young military wife with two children under four, this guest on my radio show described her life's evolution and decades-later conclusion this way, "None of us get a perfect life," she said.
Jan 6, 2009 - 11:26:39 AM
Scheme of Things
My Mother's Gift
I found nothing in the usual places. Would Mom hide her in the room I shared with my brother? As I dragged the straight chair across the wood floor, I wondered. Standing tall on tip toes, my fingers almost touched the knob above the closet door. Piling books on the chair, I climbed up again. This time, opening the cabinet that held extra blankets and family pictures, I found the shoe box.
Dec 1, 2008 - 9:11:52 PM
Scheme of Things
Growing Differences
More than likely, by the time you read this message, the decision will have been rendered. After months of posturing, positioning, and speculating, the question will have an answer. Voters will have voted, nasty ads will have subsided, and nightly news will be filled with something other than the latest political nuance or candidate slipup or pundit pontification. We'll be back to normal perhaps, as we await the next four years of new leadership.
Nov 1, 2008 - 6:16:53 PM
Scheme of Things
Defining Moments
The storm arrived unexpectedly, transforming an idyllic day on the lake into a defining life moment. At the time, too young to know if my mother's panic was well-founded, her increasing alarms that the shore was too far to swim to, and her escalating worry that we might drown, quickly alerted me to the precarious situation.
Oct 6, 2008 - 7:32:29 PM
Scheme of Things
Getting That From You
As I passed the nurses' station an Asian woman stopped me. "You're Nancy's daughter, aren't you?" she queried. I nodded as she stated what I've heard since I was small, "You look so much like her."
Sep 3, 2008 - 9:14:02 PM
Scheme of Things
Sharing Life
You'd think after thirty-three years of togetherness, my husband and I might have conquered communicating about money. But I'm more risk tolerant than he is, and a recent flair of tempers and mutual frustration highlighted our divergent spending and investment viewpoints. It also crystallized that communication mastery with each other still needs work. Whether mastery ever happens, I don't know.
Aug 6, 2008 - 12:14:23 AM
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