Of all the titles and labels I’ve ever worn, “Gigi” is my favorite. Being a grandparent is an absolute hoot! But when your grandkids live hundreds of miles away, it takes INTENTION to engage with those precious little humans. And so, Camp Joplin was born. Now a cherished family tradition, the grandkids leave their parents at home and come see…
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Camp Joplin, Even in a Pandemic
Mitzi Starkweather: Beauty Behind The Lens
Mitzi celebrates beautiful women with her camera, but it’s the beauty of her own soul behind the lens that enables her to see and capture beauty in others.
Comfort Tunes: A Coronavirus Playlist
Some people turn to food for comfort in times of stress. I turn to music. Of course I love old hymns, as I wrote about here, but I also love a tune that makes my toes tap. So, because I love you, I’m sharing my comfort tunes playlist for your listening enjoyment. Now, please understand, I have eclectic taste. You…
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The Hymns that Made Me
Songs shape us. The sensory power of melody writes both the lyrics and the emotions deep into our psyche, shaping our very identity. That’s why people with advanced dementia somehow remember the words to songs they loved in earlier years. My internal music library contains everything from Gwen Stefani to Josh Groban, but without doubt, it will be hymns that…
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Winter in Yellowstone: Adventures in Wonderland
Roger and I were married on Dec. 15, 1978, and we spent our honeymoon in Yellowstone. In our memory, it was place of other-worldly beauty and mystery. Was it really that exquisite, or did our “love glasses” simply make everything more beautiful? We decided to find out. Forty one years later, we rolled into the park again. The verdict? Winter…
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