I Have to Smile Myself

Today was one of those perfect fall days. The kind of day where the sun is shining, but it’s not like the hot summer sun. The kind of day where the air is cool and there’s a breeze shifting the curtains in the windows. The kind of day that offers an invitation to come...

Check & Mate!

When I was in high school we had to take at least a semester of a foreign language as part of the curriculum to earn our diploma. The choices back then were French or Spanish, though I’m fairly certain some of the advanced college course students considered Latin as...

Fledgling Eagles & Human Teenagers

In March, the girls and I started watching the Big Bear Valley Bald Eagle nest-streaming camera showcasing a pair of bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, who had just laid their first brood of three eggs. At the time we started watching, the first egg just hatched and we...

Anticipation, Excitement, Happiness & Joy

Perhaps one of the best parts of parenting is when you are able to participate in the pure joy your child experiences, especially when your child happens to be a teenager. There are many cool aspects of parenting, and there are likely as many or maybe more challenges...