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A Grain of Salt Posts

Facebook is Faster than the DMV

Recently, I finished a bike ride on my nearby trail with Gary on a Friday. I have to overcome the grousing that often shows up before the ride. It’s so cold. I’m so tired. The wind is too strong. I am confessing that I complain before I ride. The bike ride took care of that interior critic. I was happily climbing in the van when I realized my driver’s license was gone! I can only…

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Prepare the Way

Are you already starting to breathe heavily and sigh at the approach of Christmas decorations invading store aisles? Has the looming pronouncements of supply chain shortages have you worried about getting your Christmas gift shopping done without delay? Personally, my own resistance to getting sucked into the rush and overwhelm is to honor Advent. Practice a pause to honor the season of making room in my heart for Christmas without adding any more pressure to…

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Look around. Look around.

The pandemic reignited walking around the neighborhood block. My neighborhood is a landscape that has been a part of my life since I was five years old. In the ’70s, I biked, raced, and wandered inside most of the homes in my neighborhood. I at least made it inside the front door for trick or treating. Every porch light was on for that night. In the ’80’s I walked around the block when I returned…

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And the award goes to…

A tradition has caught on in my family. The vacation awards. Here is how the vacation awards program works. We announce that there will be an awards ceremony held on the final night of the vacation. No one knows who is giving or receiving the awards. The challenge is to keep a lookout for award-worthy recognition. The cardinal rule for the final awards is that they must be kind. This little tradition does one major…

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Does Anyone Iron Anymore?

In honor of my mother’s 91st birthday, a reflection on laundry. For most of my mother, Maxine’s childhood is a mystery. We could never get my mom to talk much about growing up in Quincy, Illinois. She was a depression-era baby born in 1930 and didn’t enjoy dwelling on any tale of difficulty or pain. Most of us conclude her silence meant a difficult time. However, Mom was quite ready to tell us about her…

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A Promise to Remember

This past summer, I received a thoughtful card and photos from Hawaii. As soon as I saw the return address, I knew the sender, but I had never met the sender. It was the return address, CECOSC, that helped me recognize the card contained a remembrance. I was part of that same group when Gary and I lived in Hawaii over twenty-five years ago. CECOSC stands for Civil Engineer Corps Officer’s Spouse Club. People I…

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