Grand Travel
Traveling with the Grandchildren When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time with each of my grandparents. Some of my fondest memories of them are the trips and outings we took together. I remember one time my paternal grandparents took my brother and I to Washington D.C. We drove from Ohio to the D.C. area and then took a bus tour of the city. My maternal grandparents spent most of their free time camping, and they would often take us with them for the weekend. It was special time to spend with each of them (without our parents) on ...
Invite Kids Into the Kitchen
Have you ever wondered how to get your kids or grandkids to help you more in the kitchen? Teaching my kids to cook and letting them help me in the kitchen has always been a high priority of mine. It usually takes a lot longer and makes more mess, but the skills they acquire and the memories you share are well worth it. When I was growing up, both of my grandmothers would let me help them cook. It was such a treat to get to do something grownups did and to feel useful. I know my own kids have felt ...
Invisible Roots
Have you ever wondered why have are afraid of certain things such as bridges or heights --or in my case - snakes? Especially if you've never had a bad experience in that area? Have you ever thought about why you might instantly dislike someone that you just met? Or adored someone you just met? Do you ever have unexpected and unexplained physical symptoms that doctors can't diagnose? I went to hear a speaker recently at our public library. I wasn't sure what to expect. A friend of mine who works at the library mentioned to me that she thought I would enjoy the ...
Highlands Nature Sancturary
I recently visited Highlands Nature Sanctuary and Appalachian Forest Museum near Bainbridge, Ohio with my daughter and our cousins. The Garmin GPS flawlessly guided us there, even though the road the sanctuary is located on becomes little more than a path before arriving at your destination. Our cousins are city girls, but enjoy hiking in the great outdoors, so the adventure of exploring this site that was formerly operated as 7 Caves for over 80 years, was a treat for all of us. The caves are no longer open to the public as the management of the site works to bring ...
Healing Your Emotions
Healing painful emotions from your past can lead to emotional, spiritual and physical healing. It is not surprising that emotional pain is the major cause of human unhappiness and depression. However, it is surprising how difficult it can be to rid yourself of these negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, fear, hurt, bitterness, grief, and other painful memories. We often do not even realize these emotions are lurking inside of us. They may have been such a part of our lives that we don't know we can feel differently. Emotional pain has a life of its own beyond our conscious mental ...
Build Fairy Houses
A great activity to inspire kids to get outside and use their imagination is fairy house building. Build them from all natural materials such as pinecones, sticks, leaves, flower petals, stones, seashells, feathers, acorns and gourds. Construct fairy houses in backyards, in flowerbeds, in wooded areas or even on a balcony. Many public parks and gardens allow fairy house building and create special events around the activity. Ask your local parks about it. Some great books to get you inspired are those written by author/illustrator Tracy Kane including Kristin's Fairy House and Fairy Houses Everywhere. We had Tracy Kane come to our ...
Prayer for Peace
Spoken prayer is one of the most powerful spiritual tools known to humanity. It is a more powerful spiritual tool than thought, meditation, visualization, centering and silent prayer. It has historically proven its power as the basis for religious ritual. The spoken word in prayer an draw un the wm of sacred writings, the Word of God. Many people have difficulty praying, especially spoken prayers. Often it is helpful to have a model prayer to follow as a guide. Here is a prayer for peace that can be used in a group setting or alone using whatever name for God you ...
Family Time Outside
If you're like many parents of young children, you may have noticed that your kids aren't spending much time playing outside. Many factors are contributing to this trend including large amounts of time daily spent on TV, video and computer games, overscheduled lives and the loss of safe outdoor play areas. It's not just kids who benefit from spending time outdoors. Spending time in nature is a great stress reliever and spiritual up lifter. There is also a special bonding that can take place when kids and parents step out of the noisy distractions of life and head to a park, ...
Why Would Anyone Want to go to Guatemala?
Before leaving on my trip, I tried to assure my friends and myself that Guatemala was safe. But now, as I spied the loaded revolver stashed in a pot of geraniums in the courtyard of my Guatemalan hotel, I wasn’t so sure. And then there was the comment I overheard at the airport before I boarded my plane. As a young man passed by my gate he asked his companion, "Why would anyone want to go the Guatemala?" As I stared at the gun, anxiety overtook me."What am I doing here?" I thought. I tried to calm these panicky thoughts by filling my ...
LIFE TRANSFORMING TRAVEL & EXPERIENCES
Grand Travel
Traveling with the Grandchildren When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time with each...
Highlands Nature Sancturary
I recently visited Highlands Nature Sanctuary and Appalachian Forest Museum near...
Why Would Anyone Want to go to Guatemala?
Before leaving on my trip, I tried to assure my friends and myself that Guatemala...
More Life Transforming Travel ExperiencesBODY MIND & SPIRIT TRANSFORMATIONS
Invisible Roots
Have you ever wondered why have are afraid of certain things such as bridges or heights...
Healing Your Emotions
Healing painful emotions from your past can lead to emotional, spiritual and physical...
Prayer for Peace
Spoken prayer is one of the most powerful spiritual tools known to humanity. It...
More Body, Mind and Spirit TransformationsHOME AND FAMILY TRANSFORMATIONS
Invite Kids Into the Kitchen
Have you ever wondered how to get your kids or grandkids to help you more in the kitchen? Teaching my kids to cook and letting them help me in the kitchen has always been a high priority of mine. It usually takes a lot longer and makes more mess, but the skills they acquire and the memories you share are well worth it. When I was growing up,... [Read more...]
Total Money Makeover
My husband and I recently attended a Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover seminar. If you haven’t ever taken the time to truly focus on your money, then I would highly recommend a class or course such as the ones by Dave Ramsey. Many communities offer his Financial Peace University classes. It is a 13-week course that focuses on eliminating debt and... [Read more...]
Start a Neighborhood Watch
A few years ago, I felt very discouraged that our small community was experiencing many more crimes such as burglaries, auto thefts, illegal drug activity and vandalism. I wanted to do something to help. I contacted our local Sheriff’s Office to see about starting a Neighborhood Watch program in the county. With the help of our local Emergency... [Read more...]
More Home & Family Transformations