Family

I remember, when I was a girl of about 15, sitting on a limestone outcrop on a hillside near my grandparents' Missouri home. It was springtime, and the dull brown grasses were just beginning to emerge from their winter sleep. The sunshine was warm, but gusts of chilly wind put goosebumps on my arms. The white stone was cold beneath my jeans, and the smell of wet earth and cedars filled the air.   There was nothing earthshattering happening ... no big "aha" moments or huge revelations. But what was happening were the quiet whisperings of my own soul stirring inside. For the first time, I felt the enveloping embrace of Purpose. I felt a buzzing inside of Connectedness, of being a part of something so much bigger than time and the body I inhabit.   "Remember this," I heard my Self say. "Hold this moment."   I had no idea at the time the significance of that instant. In fact, I doubted myself, thinking the whole experience may have been a little foolish. I did remember, though, and over... More

Let's face it. Larry Fitzgerald is pretty awesome, and even a little bit on the hot side, if I'm perfectly honest. Now that I'm a middle-aged, happily married mom, I can get by with saying things like that, in the same way your grandpa can get by with saying waitresses are cute. Sad, but true. Not sure when that happened to me.   But Larry is a different kind of fantastic. Not only is he an incredible football player (arguably the best wide receiver of all time), he's a real class act. He's focused, he has integrity and, after a loss, he takes responsibility, moves on, wakes up to a whole new day and plays another game with his whole heart and soul. And, there's the part where he's paying for me to go back to school.   Just before I left for Ghana in November, I saw a posting on Larry's Facebook page (I can call him by his first name, can't I? I mean, we are one step closer to the part where he knows I exist ....) that mentioned his University of Phoenix Finish Strong Scholarship. I... More

Something must be in the air. I don't know if it's the solar flares or some other universal tug, or maybe it's just because all of my friends are starting to get to that age where we've earned the right to sit down, relax with a skinny vanilla latte and reflect on our lives so far, but I've heard so much talk about "what could have been" lately that I just need to add my two cents.   "Who could I be now if I could erase mistakes and forget the pain of the past?" wrote one of my Facebook friends today.    Really? Why on earth would you want to do that?!   I have wandered through iife without fear, for the most part, sometimes foregoing what my mom would call "common sense" to follow my heart. I've made decisions by listening to my heart and experienced tremendous joy and fulfillment. I've climbed higher mountains, broken out of the box, and lived out a whole lot of other greeting card clichés because I haven't been afraid to say, "Why not?"   But, I admit it. I have made more... More

Many years ago, I was a young, single mom struggling to raise a baby on my own. Times were really tough, and by "really," I mean the kind of tough that turns a trip to Wal-Mart into a special holiday and makes adding hamburger to Hamburger Helper a reason to break out the good china, if I'd have owned it.   I lived in a small Iowa town in an 800-square-foot house with a single wall heater stuck in the plaster between the kitchen and the living room, and a single bedroom where my son's crib covered nearly the whole floor. I worked at a veterinary clinic because I liked animals, but it was the people who made the biggest impact on me.   One morning, somewhere in between paychecks, I found myself pouring the last of our milk into my son's bottle. He was less than a year old, and a very, very picky eater, so one of his staples was toddler baby formula in milk. I watered down gallons of whole milk to save money: one gallon of milk became two, but we still went through it quickly because... More

Kids and traffic: Two things that, together, make a mom's heart skip a beat.   No matter how many times we tell our kids to be careful, there's always that youthful element of "It won't happen to me." Children just don't get it ... but then again, why should they? They don't have the life experience to understand that bad things can and do happen, and that things can go wrong in the blink of an eye.   That's what happened to my friend's son yesterday.   In case you didn't happen to be home during the daytime, the Anthem Skate Park was completely packed. School was out for a teacher work day, and word got out like lightening through the elementary school grapevine that non-motorized scooters are allowed at the skate park for a one-year trial period. Every kid who's gotten a scooter under the tree or for his birthday over the last five years was out there giving it a whirl.   Confidence can be pretty high when you're 11 and losing a tooth is the most traumatic thing that's happened... More

I've been back in my own world for almost a week now, and I'd be lying if I said I don't enjoy every second of washing machine-dishwasher-hot shower-soft bed-smiling loved ones bliss. Even so, I still have dreams that I'm back in Ghana, and I still wake up a little confused about where I am on some mornings. Throughout the day, my thoughts still wander back to people and places that seem so distant from here, and secretly, my fear is not that they'll keep coming, it's that they'll go away. I don't want to forget. I can't forget. I have friends who are passionate about all kinds of things. I have watched the uncomfortable looks on others' faces when these friends start discussing their passions with an unwitting or unwilling audience. No one wants to hear about animal rights when they're buying steaks, and no one wants to hear about the environment when they're washing their SUV. Likewise, no one wants to hear about child slaves in Africa while they're busy living their... More

The best part about coming home from a long trip is ... everything. Getting off the plane at Sky Harbor after the last two or so months in Ghana, I couldn't help but think of the scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy stepped out of the black and white into the Technicolor world of Oz. Everything is so intense in the wake of my travels; my love and affection for my husband, love for my kids, appreciation of food, good roads and a soft bed. It's all so vivid and extraordinary. Even after a couple of days, I am still at a loss when people ask how my trip went. A mishmash of emotions gets stuck in my throat and I don't know where to start. I don't know yet what to feel. I wake up early in the morning, well before the sun, thinking about children left behind and challenges ahead. Throughout the day, I remember funny moments with volunteers. I try to share the stories, but somehow always seem to end with, "I guess you had to be there." It is very difficult, I'm finding, to have... More

Yesterday was an incredible day. It started out with a glass of wine and a shot of gin before 7am, which is something I don't recall doing even during those early college years. The whole thing is a bit surreal, but I am so excited, humbled and just plain giddy about the future that I can hardly put it all into words, even though, yes, the gin has worn off.   We traveled to Tafi Atome again on Sunday and spent Monday enjoying the area. We visited people in small roadside stores, met new friends from Germany and Holland and even played a little frisbee in the cool afternoon breeze. In the evening, we enjoyed a great meal of rice and bean stew prepared by the Queen Mother.   Tafi Atome is a scenic little village located in the jungle-covered mountains about 20 kilometers south of Hohoe, a city situated just on the other side of a mountaintop that divides Ghana from it's French-speaking neighbor, Togo. Tafi Atome is best known for its monkey sanctuary, which was... More

In the early morning hours of October 26, a flash flood warning came over the radio in Kasoa, Ghana, where about 130 students attend school at Christ Outreach Orphanage and School. About 20 children were asleep in the dorms and all was quiet when the alarm rang out. No one heard the broadcast at the school, but nearby, a teacher named Stephen was listening to the radio. Even though it was 1 o'clock in the morning, he rushed out to notify the caretakers at the orphanage and evacuate the children.   Others came, too. Several older boys who attend school at the orphanage and live nearby also heard the warning. They, too, ran to the school to help. Every one of the children and caretakers was rescued to higher ground before a tremendous wall of water overtook the compound. Bedding, shoes, desks, clothing, kitchen supplies and school supplies were carried out into the street and through the neighborhood, along with what little many other nearby residents owned. Wooden storefronts that... More

  The North Valley Jewish Community Association invites you to come along and join old friends or meet new ones at the Mix and Mingle Mah Jongg Mania event taking place at St. Rose Church, 2825 West Rose Canyon Circle, Anthem, AZ. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m. The cost is $25, which includes lunch, door and cash prizes. Reservations are required to attend this event. For reservations or questions call or email Fran Kesselman.   623-322-0957 fkesselman@cox.net... More

  On Oct. 27th, Fish Tales Toastmasters of North Valley will be hosting Mike Kami, an experienced leader who gets things done, to talk about “Servant Leadership in a Volunteer Organization.” Attendees will also be introduced to Toastmasters to learn more about how this energetic organization can help you become the best communicator and community leader you can be. Attend this free event on Thursday, Oct. 27th from 12 noon to 1 p.m. at 5000 West Carefree Highway (Arizona Game and Fish Department – Eagle Room), Phoenix.   www.fishtalestm.org... More

Can you imagine being in labor and struggling, perhaps having life-threatening bleeding or complications and not being in a hospital? How about having to walk during that time to get help? Many of us in the West can't fathom what that would be like, but for women in villages along Ghana's Lake Volta, it gets even worse. Can you imagine what it would be like to be in labor and in great pain, and have to balance yourself in a tiny fishing boat for at least two hours while someone rowed you to the hospital?When women go into labor in the village of Bakpakope, Mekporwovor, a stout man with a warm smile and quick laugh, goes into action. He is certified to deliver babies, and he has a certificate hanging on the mud wall of his hut to prove it. He has delivered children for nearly all of the families in his village and in several miles surrounding it.Sometimes things go wrong. Like any birth situation, things happen that can endanger the life of the mother or the child.... More

First dates are usually synonymous with jangled nerves and uncomfortable moments ...that is, unless you are on a first date with the person who happens to be your soul mate! When Gary and Gilmary Coover went on their first date at a Howard Johnson’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, time stood still for these lovebirds destined to be partners for life. Gilmary shares, “We fell in love immediately! We stayed for hours upon hours. We stayed so long that I thought we were going to taste all 28 flavors of ice cream by the end of our visit. We spent hours talking and communicating. There was never an uncomfortable moment.” The Coovers have been married for 28 years, and the love and level of comfort that they share with each other is evident to all around them!   Gary is a native of Yakima, Washington, and he was raised in Iowa and Illinois. He attended high school in the Chicago area. He has a brother who lives in Sun City and a sister who lives in Chicago.   Gary worked as a merchandise... More

  The North Valley Jewish Community Association asks all interested parties to join them for a traditional Break the Fast dinner on Saturday October 8, 2011. The Dinner will commence at 5:30pm at the Anthem Country Club Ironwood Ballroom. The dinner is $25.00 per Person Inclusive and $13.00 per Child Inclusive, ages three to ten years old. Anthem Country Club Members are asked to place reservations to attend this dinner by calling the Country Club directly. Non-Members are asked to contact Fran Kesselman.   623-322-0957; fkesselman@cox.net... More

Social media is an amazing thing. Through LinkedIn, I recently met a woman named Ber-Henda Williams who has made it her life's mission to empower girls through writing. Her organization, Poetry, Pages and Scribes, is now working in Detroit-area public libraries and schools, and her goal is to show 1,000 girls the power of their own voices by developing their writing and artistic talents.   I love what she's doing, and I recently made an appearance on her site as a guest blogger. After talking with her, I was inspired myself to write about the importance of creating one's own life story. Too many times, I think people want to wait until everything is perfect in their lives before indulging their passions. The problem, though, is that the "perfect" time never really comes. In reality, it is now.   Here's what I wrote (original link here: http://www.poetrypagescribes.org/?p=239):   The Story of You Many of us go through life doing the “right” things. We go to the right school. We... More