Thanksgiving is a time when we focus intently on gratitude. Surrounded by family, friends, food, and laughter it is much easier to be grateful for what we have. Gratitude fills our hearts and carries us happily through the holiday season. It is a lens that challenges us to appreciate all we have in our life [...]
My son Noah is reticent to commit to a family vacation outside the state when it is "nice" in North Dakota. Noah's "nice"translates to days that are not part of North Dakota's winter. He figures if he is living with up to six months of cold, ice and snow he needs to appreciate all the "nice" [...]
My love affair with emergency management wasn't ignited by a Hollywood disaster movie or by a desire to save the day. My love affair began when I first met the emergency managers in North Dakota and learned of the good, and all too often thankless, work they put in day-in and day-out to keep their [...]
Three years ago today a five alarm fire destroyed the Galleria Apartments in Fargo. My sons lived in that apartment building in apartment 316. They lost their pets and everything they owned. In total, the fire displaced about 150 residents. It was a truly horrific event to watch. Three years later I still remember it [...]
Yesterday morning we walked from our hotel to Arlington National Cemetery. I had an awful lot of bounce in my step as we started toward the cemetery. But as we started to see the graves from just outside the cemetery my steps got heavier and heavier. By the time we made our way to the [...]
Undoubtedly the best thing about my blog are the readers who comment or contact me with their thoughts. I appreciate that folks give up some of their time to read my blog and comment - I know that posting one's thoughts, beliefs, and feelings on open blogs can be intimidating. Many of my regular blog readers and posters [...]
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