“Once upon a time” is usually how fairy tales begin, but I was never really a fan of fairy tales. So it makes sense that my life didn’t follow that type of storyline. My life has been more of a lesson in what NOT to do. And truthfully, with each passing milestone and year, I’m […]

The oldest is 73 and the youngest is 29. We’re introverted and extroverted. We’re married, single, and divorced. From the Midwest and from the West Coast. You couldn’t write a better script. And yet that’s often where God does His finest work. Trust is an issue for lots of people. The postal service doesn’t deliver

March 17, 1988, was a super important day in my life. I became a mom to my first son, Brandon Kent. There hasn’t been a dull moment since. Almost immediately, he challenged my ideas. He was incredibly smart, very active, and a genuinely very happy kiddo. Becoming a mom during my senior year of high

Jeri Lynn, Melanie, Anne, Becca, Angie, Melisa, and Carrie. Those names will forever hold sweet memories for me for a variety of reasons. From kindergarten to my junior year of high school, these friends were a part of seasons of my life that are priceless. We had sleepovers, went to church camp, cried over boys,

She had a ferocious sound to her voice that I recognized. This was NOT the day to mess with her. “Excuse me, sir. Did you say, ‘When will he be returning to work?” That’s when I figured it out. She was the mom of the patient in the CCU. The minute I became a mom

It was on his t-shirt: JESUS LOVES YOU………..but I’m his favorite. I couldn’t resist. I walked up to him and said, “I really like your shirt. I’m gonna need to find one of those”. He said, “It’s always a conversation starter”. While the shirt may get a chuckle out of most people, I honestly had

This picture brings a flood of emotion. Good, bad, and everything in between. I love and appreciate my friend, Leslie. She’s a sweet gift to my life and makes my heart happy (GOOD). On this particular night, the world was literally hours  away from declaring a state of emergency due to Covid (BAD). And my

Some of you know this already, but for those of you who don’t: I come from a family of practical jokesters. I’m not exactly sure where it started. I do know that my Grandpa Gordon was well-known in his circle for shenanigans and my brother made a pretty good name for himself, too. As all

My thoughts flow pretty freely whether I have a pen in my hand or I’m pounding on the keyboard. Some days, the way I process looks a little different. If I have the words readily formed, my Mrs. Winkler typing skills are at their finest. If I have vague ideas without formed words, one of

I absolutely despise talking on the phone. It probably ranks up there on my Top Ten List of Least Favorite Things: liver and onions, hair on the floor (even if it’s mine), jello, opposums, and talking on the phone rank at the top. Those who know me best (Katie and probably my sisters) assume that