By: Sandy Churchill There is nothing like a hearth fire in winter, especially in New England. The smoky scents welcome us homeward when arriving from outdoors, and the crackling blazes instantly usher in warmth, family, and the cozy embrace of home. Our family members are campers at heart, eager to hike, kayak, tent- or cabin-escape … More Glorious Hearthfires!
By: Sandy Churchill When my children were small, dinner prep seemed to rob time at, “the bewitching hour”—where babies fussed, toddlers required more attention, and school-age children needed help with homework or rides to karate, soccer, and rehearsals. The idea of sparing 30 minutes or more each night to make dinner seemed unreachable many days … More Crockpots: The Mommy Time-Saver That’s Still a Winner
By: Sandy Churchill Traditions can be a messy business around family and friends, because we all have different ‘sentimentality meters’ as well as perspectives on time, togetherness, and scheduling vs. spontaneity. At our house, we often say if it doesn’t make it on the calendar, it won’t happen. That is not to say we don’t sometimes … More Embracing New Traditions
By: Sandy Churchill My mom wears red, yellow, orange, or hot pink on rainy days. She told my youngest child when he was about three that she chooses “happy colors” when it’s grey outside. Since that time, he mimics the choice, consciously or subconsciously, though he is now 13. I adopted the same practice. The … More Choose Color to Lift Your Mood
By: Sandy Churchill For a Gemini, with a zany schedule where no two days are alike, I struggle with the smallest changes. Not the kind like where you park, or what to buy at the grocery store, or even where to sit at the dining room table, but the sentimental kind. After 12+ years, our … More Couch Farewell
By: Sandy Churchill People discuss the life changes of marriage and parenting—tots to teens to college—with candid advice and honesty, but one phase seems to hush up the commentary like a dark abyss straight out of a Lord of the Rings novel: menopause. I am stunned at how little is shared on this life … More The Meno Monster?
By: Sandy Churchill We live in a time of anxiety overdrive. The news seems to be a non-stop stream of animosity and heartache, as a testament to the frequent selfishness and cruelty of human nature. Couple that with our frenzied schedules that keep moms, dads, kids, and other family members in a steady state of going … More Craft Therapy Soothes All Ages
By: Sandy Churchill When people describe “a perfect storm”—it usually conjures up images of cold fronts and tidal waves or tornado-like winds spawning catastrophic ends. But a perfect storm can also comprise a sea of happy happenings that simply whip emotions into a frenzy and tap into a bittersweet understanding that time is simply speeding past … More The Beauty of Change
By: Sandy Churchill September ushers in a whirlwind of emotions—wistfulness, energy, excitement, perhaps a last-minute scramble to get life together before the hustle and bustle of academic-year routines. Bathing suits and beach towels are packed away, replaced by schoolbooks, planners, backpacks, lunch bags, and fall clothes, as students head back to school. Some wisps of … More Back-to-School Learning Inspires Us All
By: Sandy Churchill Read Part 1 of From Deny-abetes to Slaying the Diabetic Dragon. Anger is a tough place to be because it feels like you are actively doing something but you are actually halted in action—like standing in a burst of flame and doing nothing to either escape or douse the blaze. I have been … More From Deny-abetes to Slaying the Diabetic Dragon (Part 2)
Community Voices for Health 