The Measure of Humanity

In a beloved episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a cyberneticist arrives on the starship Enterprise with the intention of dismantling Data, the android, for scientific discovery and for the goal of creating more androids like him. Data would not survive this, and when he tries to give up his commission as an officer so they cannot order him to submit, Data is told he is not human and cannot make that decision for himself. He is a machine.Read more

Be Who You Are

Cheers to being who you are! The title of this post comes from a Sunday sermon, but I’m not here to impose Jesus upon you – although, what I’m about to say not only comes from who I am, but also from my spiritual heart. Many of you know who I am to some degree – Biker chick (both Harley and bicycle); cat lover; animal lover; beer and chocolate taste-tester; lover of outdoors and all things Star Trek and NCIS;Read more

We Ask that Life be Kind

“Guide us with your graceTo a place where we’ll be safe.” From “The Prayer,” written by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa and Tony Renis. You may know the original by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, but I’ve been obsessing over the latest recording of “The Prayer” by Pentatonix. It’s on their latest Christmas CD, Evergreen. In this holiday season, whether you find yourself religious or not, celebrate Christmas or not, my wish (and prayer) for you is oneRead more

#WATWB: Blessing Bags

Having volunteered in the past at homeless shelters in the Appleton area, this news story hit close to my heart. From WBAY Channel 2 in Green Bay: Help for the homeless in Appleton came as members of the United Steelworkers in town for a conference dropped off blessing bags at a local shelter, with many bags expected to go to kids. That drop-off site was at the Pillars shelter, near the city’s downtown. Five hundred blessing bags filled with personalRead more

#SoCS: Twenty Years Later

Where were you? What was going through your mind? How did you feel? If you were an adult on November 22, 1973, or 1983, you might have been answering these questions in regard to John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, as part of a ten or twenty year anniversary. This murderous act was part of twentieth century history that shocked many in the United States and around the world. As a child, I remember watching the black and white funeralRead more

What Lingers Forever

When in grade and high school, I earned “nicknames” from a certain few. Twiggy, Jolly Green Giant, and variations of my last name. At the time, I was thin and tall for my age (5’9″ by 9th grade) and my last name was not a simple “Smith” that everyone knew. I also was picked on for wearing glasses and an overbite, neither of which helped with personal esteem or confidence in self. I was never self-assured in school, never partRead more

#WATWB: Love in Writing

A month or so ago, I was lamenting to good friend and roommate Natasha about how I missed volunteering due to the pandemic. I missed the people contact and serving the local community. Soon after, Natasha sent me a link that would allow me to be a pen pal to an elderly woman in an assisted living or nursing facility. I let that go at the time for reasons that required justification and laziness. This past week, I thought aboutRead more

#WATWB: A Sweet Birthday Treat

Often, during the past couple months of staying safe at home, roommate Natasha would yell out the patio window,“Hey FedEx (or UPS) person, thank you for working the front lines! Thank you for your service!”  We have been doing a lot of online shopping in order to avoid the stores whenever possible. Much like the grocery story or the postal delivery workers, the package delivery people have played a very important part during the COVID-19 pandemic, making our lives saferRead more

Love and Affection

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” Romans 12:10 Whether you are religious or not, I think we can all use repetitive words of love and affection in these crazy, unsure times. The Bible scripture comes from 3-Minute Devotions for a Cat Lover’s Heart. (If you know me, you would not be surprised at all that I have a cat-themed devotional. If you don’t know me, welcome to the land ofRead more

Land the Plane, Arrive

To arrive on the other side of pain isolation flying into the sun Find patience   To arrive down river of anxiety stress knotted shorts Breathe, dammit   To arrive across the bridge of fear sadness laying in the mud Ignore angry trolls   To arrive without delay detour roads closed fixing flat tires Avoid potholes   To arrive on land sanity intact clear-headed peaceful in meditation Let go of smelly dung   To arrive on the other side isRead more

Sober Silence

“Facebook and Twitter badgering isn’t going to serve us well today. Too much cheerleading on one side or the other and not enough sober silence.” ~Anonymous~ The quote is a telltale sign of our current social media climate. Of human relationships that are not purposefully silent or kind. It feels the norm of late, rather than the exception. Anger. Badgering. Disrespect. Name-calling. On media outlets that started as places for people to “connect,” make friends, share photos and laughs. And,Read more

Clean Laundry

“It’s the little things, sometimes.” A friend of mine spoke these words recently and I agree with the sentiment. Sometimes it doesn’t take much… A small gesture of kindness A knowing smile Chai tea latte When a new recipe is a winner Laughing with friends Game night A glass of wine or a pint of beer Shared food Never being without dark chocolate A winning raffle ticket Clean laundry Purring cats Another football win Snow that clings to the treesRead more