Winters here in the Twin Cities are looong. So when things start to turn green, Bill and I get crazy. Big-time. We maximize the season and make sure to focus on the things that bring us joy. Nature, outdoor dining, concerts, boating on the lake, walks in the park, watching storms, adventuring, and exploring our beautiful city.

For the last several years, we’ve done what we call a “Midwest Summer Road Trip.” We check to see which of our favorite musicians are touring somewhere in the Midwest…and then we plot out a plan of attack. Our past summer road trips have included Neil Diamond, Fleetwood Mac, and Steely Dan, to name a few. And the destinations have spanned Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Thanks go out to this year’s catalyst – the Steve Miller Band! With two back-to-back Midwest shows on their tour schedule, we were all in.

For us, a concert is never “just a concert.” And a road trip is never “just a road trip.” We make the absolute most out of everything we do. Call it “quirky,” “preference,” “over-the-top,” “habit” – whatever you want. It’s Read more »

When the rain comes there’s only one thing to do. And all my life I’ve been conditioned to do it.

When it rains:

You postpone plans.

You hope to heck that your hair doesn’t get wet.

I’m 42, and I just learned a new way. Read more »

Just a couple weeks ago, Bill and I had one of those full-circle life moments. My posts on Facebook said it all. First update early in the day: “Very excited to see Robert Plant tonight! Bill has been a fan since 2nd grade when he bought ‘Led Zeppelin II’ at a garage sale across the street for a quarter.”

Second update much later that night: “Front-row center concert tickets – $200; dinner & drinks before the show – $60; Robert Plant giving us a smile & a nod after ‘Ramble On’ – Priceless.”

Wow, what an absolute thrill to hang out right at the stage, just a few feet in front of one of the greatest rockstars of all time. An experience we won’t ever forget!

There was so much magic and synchronicity wrapped up into that night. Initially, we had fantastic third-row seats and were incredibly excited as my first Facebook update showed. Shortly before the concert, though, I ‘accidentally’ stumbled upon Read more »

Did you read the last post about our custom-built dream home? Be sure to read that one – it helped many readers take a step back and objectively question what’s most important in their lives.

The one thing I didn’t mention in that post, though, was about all the “stuff” we accumulated in the gigantic basement of that dream house. When you have the space, it’s easy to fill it. So that’s what we did.

The stuff I had been storing in my grandma’s basement for years naturally ended up in our new house. And Bill’s parents were delighted to give him back all of his childhood things in various boxes since we had the new space. No problem, though. We shoved it all downstairs where we never saw it and didn’t even give it a second thought.

But, when we sold our big house and downsized into a townhome, we had no storage. What to do? We knew we weren’t emotionally ready to deal with all the boxes, and we reluctantly paid Read more »

“There’s no way we can move. We said we’d live here forever.” Those were the first words Bill and I uttered when we pondered the idea of letting go of our dream home eight years ago. At the time, we had only been in our beautiful home for two-and-a-half years. And it was truly our dream home. We custom-built the entire thing to completely reflect us and our lifestyle – both individually and as a couple. It was the perfect Minneapolis suburb retreat, tucked in a wooded setting with mature trees, wildlife, and ultimate privacy.

This rare find was thanks to a sweet elderly couple whose home was on a large piece of land, and they decided to subdivide their lot into two. We were the privileged ones who found the other half and bought it.

And it was there that we Read more »

For the last few years, our household has been a proud member of Spiritual Cinema Circle. Each month, we get a brand new DVD sent to us with four new spiritual films – they’re movies that inspire us, engage us, and help us connect with the big-picture and the preciousness of life.

All along the way, it’s been a joy to see the Circle’s co-founder, Stephen Simon, discuss the films and engage in conversations with members.

This guy is absolutely passionate about what he does! And it’s obvious that he’s doing what he is meant to do. As a filmmaker, writer, and producer – he’s following his joy, big-time. When I first got the idea to start a series of interviews with Joy-Followers, I knew I wanted to talk to Stephen. And was I delighted that he agreed!

In addition to being the co-founder of Spiritual Cinema Circle, he’s the author of Bringing Back the Old Hollywood and the producer of two films that grabbed my heart: Somewhere In Time and What Dreams May Come.

I’m excited to introduce Read more »

Welcome to the biggest gap between posts since this blog started almost two years ago. It’s not because I haven’t written; I have. Over this past month I’d force myself to write a post and reluctantly toss it on my editor’s desk (Bill), mumbling under my breath: “Good luck with this one.” And later he’d come back at me with, “Um, I like it, but it’s very confusing.”

I know, I know. Forcing yourself to write isn’t good. And it’s not fun. So I finally decided to just drop it and wait until the time was right.

Here’s where my heart and soul have been this past month: Bill’s father, Larry, has been in the intensive care unit in the hospital, following a myriad of health issues. I’m a big believer in being fully present with whatever you’re doing, wherever you are. So, my father-in-law’s situation became Read more »

If Marci Shimoff’s name sounds familiar to you, it should! She’s the New York Times best-selling author of Happy for No Reason, as well as co-author of six books in the phenomenally popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Her books have sold more than 14 million copies worldwide in 31 languages. Wow! She’s also a featured teacher in the hit film, The Secret. Special thanks to Arielle Ford for introducing me to yet another bright Joy-Follower.

Marci is currently launching a brand new book called Love for No Reason, which offers a step-by-step program for us to live in a state of unconditional love every day of our lives. The more I live my life, the more I realize the importance of love as the foundation – so Marci’s important work has certainly caught my attention. I just started diving into her book, hot-off-the press, and wholeheartedly recommend it!

Just as I would have guessed, my conversation with Marci was enlightening, engaging, inspiring – and her spirit is full of aliveness and energy. She’s the kind of woman you Read more »

This photo is from a moment I won’t ever forget. It captures one of the formal nights on our recent Caribbean cruise – Bill and I made reservations in the ship’s specialty Asian restaurant, Silk Harvest.

The dim lighting, rich ambience, peaceful atmosphere, and soothing sounds of cultural music with water fountains did me in. And if that wasn’t enough, our lovely waiter, Corsino, waltzed over to greet us and announce that he would be taking fantastic care of us that night. His soft gentleman-like voice, laser-focused eye contact, and welcoming body language spoke a thousand stories to me. It felt as though a knight rode up on a white horse.

For a moment, I wasn’t even sure that I deserved such all-encompassing pampering treatment.

I had to use everything within me to hold back from breaking down as he Read more »

Did you hear the news? Neil Diamond has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! My recent tweet captured my feelings best:

“Heartfelt congrats to Neil Diamond R&R Hall of Fame Inductee! Amazing man, gifted musician, light in the world.”

Friendships come and go. Trends change. People grow older. And life continues. But one special ‘constant’ in my life has been the influence of Neil Diamond – singer and songwriter extraordinaire – which has etched a mark in my soul for 30 years. Read more »