Category: Reflections

• Feeling Safe in our Homes Away from Home

  “Paris” is the closest experience to “Pulse” (the gay bar in Orlando) I can relate to. Twenty-five years ago, when Mim and I still lived in Chicago, occasionally we would go with a couple friends to “Paris,” a lesbian nightclub on the mid-north side of Chicago. The four of us would sit at the bar,…

  Marian

  June 14, 2016

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  assault weapon, Cambridge, Chicago, David Haas, English mansion, feeling safe, gun control, gun control laws, lesbian nightclub, Madison, Magnificent Mile, Messiah Lutheran Church, Moody’s Pub, never darkening the door of a bar, Orlando, Paris, Paris Dance, Paris lesbian bar, personal library, Psalm 27, Pulse, Pulse gay bar, Pulse Nighclub, respect people who are different, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock’s Home

• Talking with Floey about Forecasts

  Floey jumped off the love seat in my home office, trotted over to my desk where I was sitting, and sat down next to me. “Mom, it’s been a week, and you still haven’t told me about the third thing you were thinking about during your getaway at your Christmas Mountain timeshare last week. Can…

  Marian

  June 7, 2016

  Goals, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  25th, 25th of month, Acme Boot Company, actual results, Buckingham Corporation, buget, Christmas Mountain, coca cola, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, coke, Cutty Sark Scotch, Floey, forecast, Fruit of the Loom, long-range plan, Mouton Cadet wines, New Year’s resolutions, Northwest Industries, personal plan, planning, Sears Tower, special word, Union Underwear, Willis Tower

• Talking with Floey about Peace and Patience

  Floey came running up to me as I opened the door into our condo from the garage. She was so excited I had to drop my suitcase to give her a big hug. “Oh, Floey. I’m so glad to see you. I missed you so much!” “I missed you, too, Mom? Where did you go…

  Marian

  May 31, 2016

  Assisted Living, Book Recommendations, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  120 cps, 30 cps, Bernardin, blog, blogging, Cardinal Bernardin, characters per second, Christmas Mountain, computer terminal, conversation with Floey, cps, Finance Department, Floey, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Northwest Industries, patience, patience is a virtue, peace, relax, relaxing, special word, The Gift of Peace

• An Odd Favorite

  

  I thought about Doris last week. Doris lived with us for almost four years. She came for assisted living in 2005, shortly after her husband Ernie died. Doris, a nurse, had been caring for Ernie for many years, and now it was time for someone to care for Doris. She was in her late eighties.…

  Marian

  May 24, 2016

  Assisted Living, Jail Ministry, Music, Reflections

  Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Dane County Jail, Doris, family of God, favorite hymn, favorite hymns, Favorites songbook, gospel songs, Holy Holy Holy, Melodies of Praise, sing-along, Songs of the Sanctuary, stately old hymn, The Methodist Hymnal, Trinity Sunday, women’s worship service

• Caring for Parents

  

  Thirty years ago, in 1986, Mim and I were still living in Chicago. That’s when my mom was diagnosed with liver cancer. She was 78. Mom and Dad were living on the farm in Cambridge, Wisconsin where Mom had lived her whole life. When Mom told Mim and me about the diagnosis, we made weekly trips…

  Marian

  May 17, 2016

  Assisted Living, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  caregiving, caring for parents, chemotherapy, Door County, honor father and mother, honor your father and your mother, hospice, liver cancer, Love our neighbor as ourself, Love your neighbor as yourself, North Park College, Psalms, round-the-clock caregiving, Ten Commandments, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

• Making the World a Softer, Better Place

  

  This past weekend I kept checking Facebook on my smartphone, waiting for news and pictures. It was a big weekend for my family. My great niece Mollie was in Fort Worth, Texas, competing at the national championships for gymnastics. Meanwhile, her twin sister Katie was on the prom court of the Cambridge High School Junior…

  Marian

  May 10, 2016

  Goals, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  African proverb, Cambridge High School, Facebook, Fort Worth, Gracie Korth, guardian angel, gymnastics, It takes a village, It takes a village to raise a child, Joan Chittister, Junior Olympic National Team, junior prom, Katie Korth, Kevin Korth, kindness, making the world a softer better place, Mollie Korth, Monastic Way, national championship, No act of kindness, No act of kindness is ever wasted, Olympic coaches, prom court, Shawn Korth, stilts

• To Hug Or Not To Hug

  

  “Floey, did you see that story on the news last week? The one that said dogs don’t like to be hugged?” “Yeah. I saw it, Mom.” “Well, what did you think about the story? Do dogs like to be hugged, or not?” “Mom, it’s not exactly a yes or no question. I love to cuddle.…

  Marian

  May 3, 2016

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Nature, Reflections, Spring

  awning, building nest, cuddle, cuddler, cuddliest dog, Floey, hard-hearted Mim, house finch, hug, kindness, Megabyte, Mim, Mr. Finch, Mrs. Finch

• Another Piece in God’s Puzzle

  

  A couple weeks ago I received an email from Karina Sibrian Zepeda. She’s the new Director of Development for Casita Copan in Honduras. The subject of her email was “Why do you support Dulce Maria and Leydi?” This is part of her email: My name is Karina and I am the new Director of Development for…

  Marian

  April 26, 2016

  Goals, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  casita, Casita Copan, children’s home, Christmas baskets, Copan Ruinas, daycare program, Dulce Maria, gift baskets, God’s puzzle, Honduras, internship, Leydi, mission statement, orphanage, piece of the puzzle, scholarship, separate checkbooks, sponsor, sponsor a child

• I Planned and God Laughed

  

  Thursday was just one of those days. I usually try to go to church to practice the organ for a couple hours about 9:00 every Thursday morning. Last Thursday I was running behind schedule because of being away at Christmas Mountain for a 3-day getaway earlier in the week, and I didn’t have any music…

  Marian

  April 19, 2016

  Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  Angelo’s, blueberries, Christmas Mountain, Costco, God’s plans, iPhone, Italian restaurant, lost phone, Messiah Church, Messiah Lutheran Church, Metro Market, my plans, organ practice, practice the organ, Prius, US Cellular, whittlers, whittling, wood carving

• The Joy of Being a Piece of the Puzzle

  

  I’m drafting this blog post on Thursday morning. I plan to post it on Tuesday, my usual day for posting to WhisperingWindsBlog.com. I’m writing this post so early because I plan to spend a few days at our Christmas Mountain timeshare, and I want to spend my time reading, walking, and putting together a picture…

  Marian

  April 12, 2016

  God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Lent, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  big picture, Christmas Mountain, Dane County Jail, humbled, jail, jigsaw puzzle, joy, Lent Devotionals, life story, Maundy Thursday, Messiah Lutheran Churc, picture puzzle, piece of the puzzle, pieces of God’s puzzle, pieces of the same puzzle, puzzle, separate vacations, stay awake, testimony, timeshare, vacation