A Happy Family is Based on Love, Not Biology

We are family! Blood has nothing to do with it. Twelve hundred miles from home, I left my extended family. My four sisters, mom and dad were no longer part of my daily routine. At first it didn’t matter, I was young and free and could easily fly home for family events or the holidays.…

UNBROKEN’s Real Story: Money and Morals

This week the highly anticipated film Unbroken hit theaters and thousands will see this film about war and the strength of the human spirit. I was half-way through Laura Hillebrand’s novel Unbroken before I realized Angelina Jolie had chosen this to be her directorial debut.…

Fiddledeedee

I’ve been missing in action after dropping a bomb a month ago.  I came back briefly when I raised my periscope and then was gone again. You see we’re facing a money meltdown in our family business and our resources (and income) are literally drying up.…

Up Periscope

Something happened on the way to despair. After looking at the numbers, I was hopeless. There didn’t seem anyway out and all I could see were problems. My periscope was stuck in the down position and so was I. That’s when something said, “share your journey.”…

Where Do I Begin?

Where do I begin….? I woke up this morning to that song stuck in my head-you know the one – the one from Love Story. OK, so maybe you’re not old enough to remember it. Trust me, it’s annoying and so is the movie.…

Quiet on the Set!

Here I am in Nashville at a movie shoot—really!  I’ve been rubbing elbows with Terry Kiser of Weekend with Bernie fame. And although he made a great dead man, he’s much more impressive alive. He’s the star in The Body Sculptor.…

If This Isn’t Nice, What Is?

My son John’s friend, author Rob Kiser read this at his wedding this weekend. It says it all… John, since I’ve been ripping off your material for more than a decade, it should come as no surprise that my opening line was a shameless act of plagiarism.…

In Between

Last week I was anxious and although  I’m moving toward excitement, right now I’m spending time in melancholy. I’m in this state of melancholy because my son’s wedding (and other big life events) cause me to reflect on life. For me, this melancholy is about mellowness laced with a touch of sadness, wistfulness and even a bit of calmness.…

Please Hold…

I’ve been in a holding pattern. The last few weeks I can’t seem to get out of my way or get things moving. I haven’t written a blog for two weeks, worked on my book or drummed up business. I feel like all I’ve been doing is waiting to get on the other side and breathe.…