Musings

As we approach Valentine’s Day this year, the quote “Grief is just love with no place to go” - stated so eloquently by Jamie Anderson - has been on my mind. To me, it is a succinct and honest way of understanding the heartache of loss. When we lose a beloved person, we inevitably feel an emotional chasm and wonder if and how we can ever fill that void. Though our love for a specific person is never replaced or substituted, I believe that our pain may be assuaged through time

Despite the hopefulness that comes with any New Year, January in the upper Midwest is typically characterized by a desolate and frigid landscape. A fresh snowfall offers a glittering reprieve from the bleakness of the season, but much of the month is blanketed in darkness. The dull gray of a cloudy day is often exacerbated by an early sundown, leading to long and gloomy evenings. For those in grief, all these factors may enhance the inner dullness that loss brings. Arriving o

As I sat down to write my December Monthly Musings post, my thoughts turned to Brad’s childhood anecdotes about the proper way to gift a Nerf football. Through his telling, it became obvious that my late husband loved to pull gentle pranks on his friends and siblings when it came time for gift giving in their early years. He recounted with glee how he would disguise the gift of a Nerf football by placing it in the largest box available. On other occasions, the football was pl

Recently, a New York Times article not only caught my attention, it also altered my perception of myself. Published September 7, 2025, it was titled, “Your Zodiac Sign Is 2,000 Years Out of Date.” As I read, I learned that the Zodiac signs we know through popular lore are based upon the constellations behind the sun as we observe them from Earth. Nevertheless, the authors explain that due to Earth’s wobble, the relative difference in size amongst constellations, and creative

In late August, I was surprised to find an uninvited visitor on my backyard deck. Though I was anticipating the 5 year anniversary of my...

Given this summer's scorching temperatures, it is not surprising that I found myself pondering the benefits of breathable fabrics these...