Decade of Gratitude

Decade of Gratitude Post 10.5: New Farm Friends

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post 10.5: New Farm Friends November 24, 2010

Today, Thanksgiving Eve, I wanted to share one more post of gratitude – for my new farm friends. It has been just over a year now since I began social media relationships (and real life friendships) with farmers across the country.  In that year I’ve discovered much of what I believed about how food is [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #10: Our Precious Burdens

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #10: Our Precious Burdens November 12, 2010

Part of the dedication to my first book reads: For Grace and Callie, who drive me crazy and keep me sane, all at the same time. My sassy, ten-year-old-today, daughters think that is pretty funny! Soon after Grace and Callie were born, our priest visited and referred to them as our “precious burdens.” Both Clay [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #9: The Chance

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #9: The Chance November 11, 2010

Tonight I will receive the Heart Hero Award from the American Heart Association. I’m deeply honored and very humbled. I didn’t set out to do anything award-worthy – I simply needed to give back for the chance I’d been given. I am so grateful for the chance to watch my daughters grow, grow old with [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #8: My Path

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #8: My Path November 10, 2010

Sometimes it is hard to find the path in life. One benefit of a near-death experience for me was clarity of what is important and where I want to go. Right after my heart attack, I often said I could deal with anything as long as I got to raise my daughters with Clay. I [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #7: Perspective

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #7: Perspective November 8, 2010

Yesterday was spent with a TNT film crew feeling like a movie star. Today, I’m in torn jeans, a stained sweat shirt, and spending the day working in the boat yard. I love the perspective of my life! We all put on “work clothes” and play a role – whether it is mom, manager, valuable [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #6: American Heart Association

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #6: American Heart Association November 8, 2010

Without a doubt, one of the most exciting things I’ve done in the past ten years was to host the HEART for Women Rally on the grounds of the US Capitol. Pretty darn cool! Yes, I’m grateful for that opportunity with the American Heart Association – but I’m grateful for so much more than the [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #5: My New Career

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #5: My New Career November 7, 2010

So, what do you do? It seems like a pretty easy question, but it often begins an odd interaction. If I say I’m a professional speaker, most of the time people’s brows furrow. It’s a fairly unusual job. If I say I’m an author, most of the time they are disappointed to find I’m not [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #4: Girl Scouts

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #4: Girl Scouts November 6, 2010

Ten years ago I woke up in the ICU after our babies were delivered by C-section and my doctors fixed my heart with bypass surgery, wondering whether we had boys or girls — or one of each.  Soon after, my wonderful husband, Clay, came to tell me we had girls. Girls!! I’d really wanted girls! [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #3: My Village

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #3: My Village November 5, 2010

An African proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I say I’d be lost without my village! When the girls were born, Clay and I were overwhelmed. Family, friends and neighbors came to help us, brought us food and encouragement, and sat with the girls while I went to cardiac rehab and [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #2: My Doctors and Nurses

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #2: My Doctors and Nurses November 4, 2010

My heart attack happened so suddenly, if I hadn’t been in the hospital on bed rest – help wouldn’t have reached me in time.  Not only was I in a hospital, but a great hospital with a fantastic staff who sprang into action to save my life.  I owe my life to the wonderful people [...]

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Decade of Gratitude Post #1: My Health

Thumbnail image for Decade of Gratitude Post #1: My Health November 3, 2010

Sometimes it seems like ten years have gone by in a blink of an eye. Wasn’t it just yesterday we brought tiny twin girls home from the hospital? Other times, it seems longer. Yes, it took me a while to lose the 80 pounds I gained while I was pregnant.  It also took a while [...]

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