Looking back, I can see that the adjustment to an empty nest happened in three stages. For me, each one was a necessary part of the process. The first two stages were a matter of survival, while the third one helped me thrive.
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“How did we get so lucky?” I asked my husband, as we took in the view. From the porch of our Minnesota cabin, “our lake” looked stunningly blue through the white birch and pine trees.
Our cabin on the lake was an unexpected dream come true at the end of last summer. And although it’s already given us many happy moments, and promises years of delight in the future, it hasn’t come without some pain and struggle.
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By the time we got to picture day, my anxiety had rubbed off on everyone. We were all uptight, cranky, and not in the mood to smile. My kids were unruly and mischievous. In response, I was impatient and irritable. The only thing that rose higher than the pitch of my voice was my blood pressure.
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Because there were three full chicken coops on the farm, I spent my Saturdays gathering eggs. While my friends laughed about Saturday morning cartoons at school on Monday, I grumbled about the injustices of being a farmer’s daughter.
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A story of seed-planting, bean-snapping, and tending to all that we love. When we realize our loved one's days are numbered, we’re reminded to tend to them with loving care.
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(An excerpt from LENT through the LITTLE THINGS by Linda Hanstra)
The older I get, the more I find myself searching for things.
“Where did I put that jacket?”
“Why aren’t my keys in my purse?”
And the most common: “What happened to my phone?”
I now have a solution!
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Our annual "Christmas Letter" (a.k.a. Year in Review) is brought to you by the blizzard of 2022. When blizzard warnings, bomb cyclones, and plane delays/cancellations foil Christmas plans, there is still one thing you can count on.
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Is your empty nest dull and bland? Are you looking for ways to spice things up? There are countless ways to add zest to your nest and I’ll share 20 of them in this post and the next! These are activities you can do alone, with your spouse, your family, or your friends!
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Are you making way for ducklings in your nest? Is your college kid returning home for the first time and you don’t know what to expect? Do you have a “boomerang” flying at you and you’re not sure how to catch it?
Here are five tips to help you avoid potential pitfalls and conflicts, forge lasting relationships, and discover the benefit of the “Boomerang Bonus”.
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Our theme song for the week has been, “And another one gone, and another one gone. Another one bites the dust!”
The four of us are isolating together, much like we did two years ago on Easter Sunday, when both of our girls were sent home from college in March 2020. Our bucket-list vacation followed by a five days of COVID isolation during the holiest week of the year, has spurred reflections on our ever-changing Easter traditions, and the ever-constant reason we celebrate.
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Next winter, when I’m retired from my school job, every day will be like a snow day! I can sleep in. Take a long bath. Read lots of books. Watch lots of shows. And even though I might deserve a life of leisure after 35 years as a speech-language pathologist, I’m already a bit uneasy about the prospect of that much downtime.
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