(Part II of a two-part series.)
Thank you for your prayers last week during my Grand Canyon run.
My journey started with a group of four men and two women ages 25 to 58. At 3:10 a.m. on October 26, we knew we had a long trail ahead of us. While it was daunting and emotions were mixed with fear and anticipation, we all commented about the beauty and light of the moon.
As an avid long-distance runner, this is by far my favorite time of the year to run.
On most early mornings, I can be found on the trails of the many parks around south central Wisconsin.
Through the years, I have had many opportunities to run in some unique and stunning landscapes around the world. For me, running is not just physical, but helps keep me grounded mentally and spiritually.
MADISON — On Sunday, March 22, Care Net Pregnancy Center of Dane County and Lighthouse Kids will be holding an open house celebrating Care Net’s 30th anniversary and the grand opening of Lighthouse Kids Early Learning Center on Madison’s east side.
Care Net is celebrating 30 years of providing compassionate pregnancy and sexual health services in the Madison area.
They offer help, hope, and healing through medical services, education, a residential program, and ongoing support.
Care Net recently completed the development of Eagle Harbor Apartments, featuring 36 modern and affordable apartments.
Lighthouse Kids will now provide on-site childcare at this facility right next door to Care Net.
Lighthouse Kids is excited to announce the opening of its new early learning center that will be unlike any other day care center.
Lighthouse Kids, a five-star childcare center, offers bilingual education (English/Spanish) to meet the needs of families while giving children the gift of multiple languages.
This center is a vision of Care Net and Lighthouse Church to bring high quality early childhood education in a safe environment.
It is Lighthouse’s desire to offer families, especially those at risk, affordable childcare and family support. The curriculum focuses on early learning skills and prepares children for entrance into 4K.
Lighthouse Kids will provide a convenient and affordable Christian childcare option for families of Eagle Harbor Apartments, mothers of The Elizabeth House, and other families on Madison’s east side.
At my age, it is not too surprising to have a bad health day that keeps me home. But when it happens on Sunday and I must miss Mass, I find myself asking, “Why, God? Why today? Don’t you want me to go to Mass?”
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Editor’s note: We are pleased to welcome back our popular “Grand Mom” columnist, Audrey Mettel Fixmer. We published her last column in November of 2012. This week she explains some of the challenges she has faced in the past 14 months. We hope that Audrey will continue to share her wisdom with us as often as possible. God bless you, Audrey!
Our wonderful editor, Mary Uhler, phoned me a couple of weeks ago to tell me that so many of my faithful readers inquired about me that she felt obliged to offer an excuse for my absence.
STOUGHTON — The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is grateful for the warm welcome the new Stoughton “St. Vinny’s” location has received from customers and the community since opening the store’s doors in late August.
The large new store, located at 1509 U.S. Highway 51/138, replaced a smaller location — now closed — that the society had operated in Stoughton since 1991.
A grand opening celebration will be held at the new location from Thursday, Oct. 3, to Sunday, Oct. 6. Light refreshments will be served each day, and the newest Dane County St. Vinny’s thrift store will offer the following promotions:
It’s common knowledge that grandparenthood is a well-earned reward for surviving parenthood.
You get all of the benefits of having an adorable child without the pain and responsibility. No pain of childbirth, no up-all-nights. No having to feed and clothe them.
I entered that lofty stage of grandparenthood at age 40. I remember rushing to the hospital nursery to see Jeff, my first-born grand, and announcing to the nurse, “I’m the baby’s grandmother.”
During the holidays I love hearing from old friends, voices from my past; Charlotte, a “mother’s helper” who lived with us for her senior year of high school and now has grandchildren of her own; Tom and Betty, who taught with Bob in the ’50’s and shared our laughter and tears.
They were the short term relationships, the layers of love that add flavor and richness to our lives. The long term relationships were the foundation.
I thought of the analogy as I was making my seven layer taco dip for a New Year’s Eve party.
Aging is all about changes. Some changes are in-evitable. Some are good. And some are plain difficult.
Changing seasons is welcome. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I stood sorting through my closet before dressing for church. The time for rusts and golds was past and it was too soon for Christmas colors. I picked purple.
An hour later as I walked into church, our sacristan grabbed my arm. “You remember that you’re a lector today, right?” I hadn’t, of course.
I am most thankful this year for my astonishing discovery that traveling in Europe is still possible in your 80’s as long as you have a young and loving travel companion.
I recently did it with my 26 year-old granddaughter, Hillary, and a fun-loving group of Luxembourg Americans. There were 29 of us plus three guides.
I loved the rides on the tour bus each day because they were never too long (Luxembourg is only the size of Rhode Island) and the scenery was magnificent.
