Kick off your workin’ shoes, put on your slippers, and settle down with my weekly newspaper columns, Life With a Twist, which ran from 2009-2012 in the Zionsville Times Sentinel.
Moving on with thanks and hope, 5/2/2012
An unlikely (tail) of redemption, 4/18/2012
Finding a way home from vacation, 4/11/2012
Waiting on ash trees, 4/4/2012
What’s so great about the Hunger Games, 3/28/2012
It’s the hard drive life for us, 3/21/2012
The sun and the rain and our appleseeds, 3/14/2012
An encore month for school music, 3/07/2012
Reframing the long struggle of life, 2/29/2012
A fully human set of eyes, 2/22/2012
Every kiss begins with a stone, 2/15/2012
Harvesting a super bowl of hope, 2/8/2012
Got nothin’ against the big town, 2/1/2012
Putting a muzzle on SOPA and PIPA, 1/25/2012
A name that shall not be cut off, 1/18/2012
Reupholstering the mimicking political landscape, 1/11/2012
Life is like a plate of pancakes, 1/4/2012
Legislating a dirty little Super bowl secret, 12/28/2011
Inhaling the uncertainty of Christmas, 12/21/2011
The carol of the wild turkeys, 12/14/2011
How to avoid half-lit, tangled up holidays. 12/7/2011
Can I have fries with that McService? 11/30/2011
On beyond thankful, 11/23/2011
Occupy the street set before you, 11/16/2011
A stamp no one should approve, 11/9/2011
Grab your fedora and write, 11/2/2011
Resolving life’s little concoctions, 10/26/2011
Lamenting the monster mash, 10/19/2011
Beauty on the back stretch, 10/12/2011
Pressing fully into fall, 10/5/2011
Knots and dreams and woven things, 9/28/2011
A panegyric play on prevarication, 9/21/2011
Skyping in to computer generated humility, 9/7/2011
Lessons from the color wheel, 8/31/2011
Back to the future of the good old days, 8/17/2011
So much depends upon summer, 8/10/2011
The problem with stilettos and Somalia, 8/3/2011
Being yourself in an apple-eat-apple world, 7/27/2011
The yellow-bellied spine of American debt, 7/20/2011
Living outside the wake, 7/13/2011
The newborn peace of home, 7/6/2011
Lost, found and freedom, 6/29/2011
The day I resigned as camp counselor, 7/22/2011
Crumbs of truth, caught red-handed, 6/15/2011
The ultimate teacher’s gift, 6/8/2011
Purple flowers in a barren, busy land, 6/1/2011
If left behind, please feed my dogs, 5/24/2011
A word for graduates, 5/18/2011
The secrets of nurses, 5/11/2011
See you in the produce aisle, 4/27/2011
A faith that means everything, 4/21/2011
Two minutes to read this column, 4/6/2011
There’s more than corn (and tantrums) in Chambana, 3/30/2011
One mans oops is another mans pleasure, 3/23/2011
The seismic choice of finding a new axis, 3/16/2011
When the me becomes we, 3/9/2011
Driving through distraction, 3/2/2011
An olive branch for the heart, 2/23/2011
Taking the long road on Valentine’s Day, 2/16/2011
The icy reality of cabin fever, 2/9/2011
Over the hill of Idol, 2/2/2011
Beyond our compartmentalized dreams, 1/26/2011
Fearing the torrential downpour of an annual virus, 1/19/2011
Choosing to rememer one year ago today, 1/12/2011
The fleecing flurry of blizzard fashion, 1/5/2011
Don’t let the new year catch you by the tail, 12/29/2010
Unwrapping Santa on Christmas, 12/22/2010
Falling for the glistening glory of snow, 12/15/2010
What’s in the palm of your hand? 12/8/2010
Hauling out heart for the holidays, 12/1/2010
Rescuing the cornucopia of hunger, 11/24/2010
No regrets in regrettable times, 11/17/2010
Saluting the price of freedom, 11/10/2010
The pedagogy of puppies, horses and humility, 11/3/2010
MOAB: An acronym bigger and better than a super store pink aisle, 10/27/2010
When failure is not an option, 10/20/2010
Where you do, what you do matters 10/13/2010
Clarity through still apertures, 9/29/2010
Hoarding a doggone good time, 9/22/2010
Kindness means embracing sharp edges, 9/15/2010
Knee deep in gratefulness, 9/8/2010
When stuck, act like a Chilean miner, 9/1/2010
Untangling the Kudzu for a new school year, 8/25/2010
Running away on the brick street, 8/18/2010
Cream of the crop in the landscape of our town, 8/11/2010
Mud puddlin’ on a summer afternoon, 7/28/2010
Toys are real and I’ll tell you why, 7/14/2010
My sordid affair with the rental machine, 7/7/2010
When lightning strikes, 6/20/2010
The devastating depths of gushing greed, 6/23/2010
Carving love with calloused hands, 6/16/2010
What would you give up? 6/9/10
Robert Frost had it all wrong, 6/2/2010
Charcoal gray reflections on window cleaning, 5/26/10
A tale of Brick Street Market EVE, 5/19/10
Stick (figures) and stones: naming the problem on our city streets, 5/12/10
The non-profit trepidation of Mother’s Day, 5/5/10
My dogs are barkin’ part 2: Where there’s a will there’s a way, 4/28/10
My dogs are barkin’ and that’s no cliche’, 4/21/10
Looking into the eyes of the beholden, 4/14/10
Eastern junipers and jump shots, 4/7/10
2100 pennies: a (tail) of faith, 3/31/10
The improvised and obstinate garden autobiography, 3/24/10
Dissecting a lifelong love of learning, 3/17/10
March madness at the car shop, 3/10/10
Celebrating essential harmonies in life, 3/3/10
Sub-zero thoughts about bacon, blokes and belles, 2/24/10
Learning to find balance from Lincoln’s lanky hands, 2/17/10
For the love of cute and cuddly middles, 2/3/10
Lamenting the post-nasal drip of Indiana lineage, 1/27/10
Love comes to town on a salty back windshield, 1/20/10
Flushing out courage on a cold winters day, 1/13/10
The charming mess of resolute intentions, 1/6/10
All I got for Christmas, 12/30/09
My dog hates Santa hats and so do I, 12/23/09
Toilet brushes, traditions and mutating trees, 12/16/09
Wassailing with the green eyed monster, 12/9/09
The day Edgar McWhiskerson met Mama Bear, 12/2/09
Openin’ up a can of wild turkey this Thanksgiving, 11/25/09
There’s something rotten in Copenhagen, 11/18/2009
My graceful conniption, 11/5/09
I’m not counting on Brett Favre. Or a Muumuu. 10/28/09
On aerators, bulbs and secret gardens, 10/21/09
Flying dogs, biting kids and lame apologies, 10/14/09
Tooth fairies, funerals and other expenses, 10/7/09
The epic loss of tangible trilogies and paper cuts, 9/23/2009
Obama forgot what kids really need, 9/16/09
Pop-Tarts, Etiquette Chairs, and the Back 40, 9/9/09
I’ll meet you at the corner of 16 and now, 9/2/09
Paradigms and Perspectives on Refrigerators, 8/26/2009
Bullies and Balance Beams, 8/19/09
Save the Polar Bears (and Crayons, too), 8/12/09
Of Scooters and Mighty Putty (7/21/09)
Reader Comments:
“I was just sitting at home after a tough day . . . feeling sorry for myself and sat down to read the Zionsville Times-Sentinel . . . I ran across your column, drawn in by odd mention of scooters and putty in the headline. I am glad I read it. It made my day, even making this big ‘ol guy tear-up. Thanks for reminding me to be thankful for what I have been blessed with in the way of my families, friends, and, indeed, our community. Please keep it up . . . “ –Kevin, local attorney
“What a great story with so many lessons to be learned; spend time with your kids, enjoy the little things in life, understanding disappointment and keeping the faith. It just really started my day with the right things to think about. Thanks so much for sharing and as a father so much of it hit home.” ~Jon
“We read her column weekly and anticipate each one. This weeks has been scanned and emailed to family and friends. We represent the 30- somethinga with kids who have hitched our wagon to Zionsville. I would like to thank her for making Zionsville better through her column.” ~Drew & Gina
“I have wanted to say, for some time now, how much I enjoy your writings in the Times Sentinel. They make me laugh, think and sometimes bring a tear to my eye.” ~Julie
“I just wanted to pass on my compliments and congratulations for your fine article earlier this week on Abe Lincoln’s hands as a metaphor for his strength and compassion. The subject matter was very timely for president’s day, and offered a very unique and clever perspective as to clench and release and its pertinence to challenges and obligations we face now in day to day living. Way to go! Your column surely moved folks into thinking in new ways about Lincoln and his influence in our lives.” ~Craig
I am writing to express my appreciation for your article . . . I agree with your sentiments about the state of our culture and I applaud your courage, common sense, and skill in speaking up. Thank you for seeking a platform to communicate important and timely ideas . . . Many of us seem to be baffled by our cultural drift and what to do about it . . . As we are in desperate need of wisdom, I appreciate your local voice calling us to reason and virtue. Thanks for doing something! ~Eric
“I just wanted to write a note and pass along to you my compliments on your regular column in the Zionsville Time Sentinel. Your articles and comments are precious and I look forward to reading them every week. Not only are they just “so true” for so many…we can all relate…any age…they are humorous and thought provoking! I own a real estate office here in town and I set the page with your column on our conference table every week for my agents to read. They love it too! Sometimes I even make copies to scan and send to my mother and sisters. Keep up the beautiful work. I will look forward to your book!” ~Lynn
