I live across the street from an historical cemetery that captivates me especially during the fall season. I love how the fall foliage frames the green space with color. Later, when the leaves start to fall, the mighty maples and oaks stand proud, making a statement against the sky.
I don’t think of the cemetery as creepy or scary. It’s a comforting place filled with stories to be told about local history. I finally checked off my bucket list item when I “featured” the cemetery at a small gathering. I’ve been talking about hosting an autumn dinner party that would somehow include “something” with the cemetery for about 20 years (yes, really!).
Like reacquainting with an old friend, time spent at my local art museum always invigorates me. Even better is a visit during the annual floral exhibit that ignites my spirits as New England transitions into spring. I took advantage of the Flora in Winter at the Worcester Art Museum (WAM) in Massachusetts as a calendar catalyst to celebrate the start of March and my intention to jump into spring mode. It was just what I needed! To help you get on board with the arrival of spring, join me as I tour world-renowned art pieces juxtaposed with interpretive floral displays.
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I’m feeling energized and inspired with the new year ahead to make some positive changes as part of my annual goals. My biggest priority this year is to “lighten up,” which impacts many aspects of my life. I’m obsessed with my one one-word theme: dandelion. I chose this word to visually symbolize what I want to achieve this year: to feel lighter in mind and body. When trying to figure out my word, I was searching for the antithesis of words like weighty, heavy, substantial.
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I’ve been deeply contemplating my 2024 goals over the past week. On the last day of 2023, I had an epiphany on my one-word theme to set the stage for the new year. Perfect timing! Before I get ahead of myself, let me explain my process with defining my goals that has evolved over the past few years. Now, I commit my goals in writing and track them in a daily journal. I no longer make New Year’s resolutions. In my experience, resolutions are usually short lived, unsuccessful and frustrating.
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Looking back at the holiday season from last year, I thought this blog post was worth resharing. Perhaps it’ll help inspire you as you prioritize what’s most important and how you spend your time. I can only hope I’ll look back at the end of this season and feel the same sense of holiday contentment as I did last year!
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Perhaps you have a favorite Thanksgiving you’ll cherish forever or a stretch of years when it was most memorable. Maybe it was the years your grandparents hosted or after you got married and carved out your own traditions. For me, it was a long stretch of time when the women in my family would gather on Thanksgiving Eve to bake pies with Mom. So. Many. Pies.
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The first potential heat wave of the season is predicted in my area this week which reminds me that we’re in the middle of the dog days of summer. According the Old Farmers’ Almanac, this period occurs July 3 to August 11 in the Northern Hemisphere. Living in central New England, these 40 days are truly a gift from Mother Nature that I treasure. Sure, the heat and humidity can be uncomfortable during a heat wave, so I do appreciate having central air when it’s needed. But overall, I embrace the summer heat. I patiently wait all winter for warm weather, so when the hot days hit, I try not to complain knowing I’d gladly welcome them in January.
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For Father’s Day, I share a poem I wrote for my Dad for his 75th birthday, an inspired idea suggested as a unique gift from a former boss and mentor. Now, eight years later, I realize this ode to him is actually more of a gift to myself. It gives me time to pause and appreciate my Dad. I’m not sure if these words will resonate with you not knowing my dad, but let me tell you a bit about him. An introvert all his life, calling himself bashful, he is a gentle man and deep thinker, an accidental philosopher actually, who loves being connected to nature and spending time outdoors.
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In honor of all graduating students, I share a family story about my niece’s uncertain beginning into this world. This story came into being because of a job opportunity. I was required to demonstrate my writing skills by sharing an original sample. It was for a marketing and communications position for a hospital system, so it had to focus on health care and it could be personal. So, I wrote about what I knew. Like most writers do.
My younger sister, Kim, then 23, was going through a medical rough patch and we were all rallying around her in support. That was 18 years ago. The account I share here is unchanged from the original. That’s important to me because I want to ensure that the integrity of the words capture how we felt during my sister’s high-risk pregnancy carrying my niece, Emily.
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Don’t you love spring and how it entices you with anticipation, optimism and renewal? How the longer, warmer days encourage you get outdoors, connect with nature and embrace your world? This is why I find spring to be an opportune time to review your annual goals, check your lists twice (or thrice!) and re-evaluate your achievements. And once that’s done, move some of your unfulfilled 2023 priorities to the top of your goals list.
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This post celebrates my first year as a personal blogger. It’s been a learning experience and something I’ve dreamed of doing for more than a decade. While I’m still getting my feet wet, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far in my first 40 posts marking my blog’s anniversary. It started with plotting out my goals in 2022 while self-quarantining from COVID-19. During my isolation period, I carefully set my goals in writing using my brand-new Commit30 planner. I jotted down “write more,” and there you here you have it. This was the impetus to bring Literally Laurie to life.
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I no longer make New Year’s resolutions. Somehow resolutions always seem frivolous and short lived, barely going past February. Since last year, I’m committed to plot out my goals instead for the coming year and track them in a journal. It makes a life-changing difference, believe me. In this blog post, I’ll share this process to help you make the most of 2023.
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