Life on the Runn...

Those who know me best know how very important I find connections - between experiences, among people, to my past.  And today, we made a big and deep connection, a commitment to a place, our own little slice of the earth.  We officially closed on our 'prop,' a tree-lined lot nestled in a cul du sac in Delafield.   While we've been pulled in various directions, namely west toward the mountains, and Colorado in particular, a certain tiny human made staying close to home, our roots, ever more important.  We'll surely always be drawn westward, but nothing compares to the love we see between our parents and our child; nothing tops that lovely little connection between the people who made us who we are and the tiny person we made. So we will dive into land ownership and home-building headfirst. We will choose flooring, fixtures, paint colors; we will price out dimmer switches and appliances; and one day soon-ish, as we settle in for our first night in our new home, we&

As my good friend Taylor Swift says, “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22.” She says a lot of profound things... ...but here is something that actually IS true: with age comes wisdom, and as 22 is indeed well back there in the rear view mirror, I feel wiser and more grateful than ever as I wrap up another year and another birthday celebration.  When I actually turned 22 I was staring down graduation, plans for a second degree at a new university, and married life (people were going to start calling me Mrs.?!). I was facing many realities, not the least of which was that I would be living on my own (well, with my partner) and not in Africa, where I had grand visions of building schools in countries in need and volunteering at animal sanctuaries on weekends. Even still, at 22, birthday planning meant deciding if we should go to Wando’s before or after a stop at the KK. It meant deciding if leaving my coat at home - who wants bar smells and stuff on your attire?’ -  wa