March 8th makes the switch to Daylight Saving Time. This change can be viewed as harsh, losing an hour of sleep, or positive, gaining an extra hour of afternoon sun. Minor changes happen to our calendars but change in our lives and businesses can introduce major stress or significant benefit. [...]
We have a three car garage and can’t fit in one car. The dog crate, lawn mower, free weights and bench, power washer and woodworking area have expanded to crowd out any hope of parking my car. It’s full. When my aunt died and the family needed to sell her[...]
This month, love is scheduled for the 14th, and you better be ready! Social pressure and guilt are reserved for the unprepared. When we were first married, my husband thought we would just stop in at a restaurant after work and celebrate. It was a shock and disappointment when we[...]
It’s already the first week of the new year and I haven’t landed on any resolutions yet. My usual ones – lose 10 pounds, go to the gym more, read more books – seem like a repeat of last year and a cop out. Plus, I normally stick to these[...]
People are spiritual by nature; we search for reasons and purpose and meaning. There are mysteries we don’t understand and a whole universe we need to explore. Deep down, the drive to be better either compels or convicts us. People are also creative by nature; the urge to make something[...]
Have you ever said, “I’m not artistic; I can’t draw a stick figure”? I have good news for you: stick figures are not the yard stick for art. The world is full of opportunities to “do” art. This month is National Wilderness Month (celebrating the 54th anniversary of the Wilderness[...]
It’s Back to School time and with budgets tightening, the arts sometime get squeezed out. But I think downplaying art in school is a critical factor contributing to less effective education. We retain approximately 10 percent of what we see; 30 to 40 percent of what we see and hear;[...]
“Join or Die” was Benjamin Franklin’s call to arms during the American Revolution. His cartoon, first published May 9, 1754, in the Pennsylvania Gazette, was a rallying challenge for the colonies. The visual impact of a severed snake jolted the colonists to action against the British iron rule and led[...]
Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” The door to possibilities is imagination. It’s the “what could be” dream. And art is the creative language that encourages and expands imagination. Painting, drawing, sculpting and other art forms help people process feelings and emotions by focusing attention and concentration; adults[...]
My mother was a Southern lady from Virginia who taught me how a lady should act and the value of who I am. She modeled integrity, faithfulness and love, and I learned so much from her. 10 Things I learned from my mother Always be on time or a little[...]