Author: Karen

I am an RN, Author, Coach, and Speaker. I write novels about relationships to help people find insight into their own. I guide people to create comfort, clarity, and connection in their lives. By combining metaphysical tools with over twenty-five years of nursing experience, I infuse the 'art of nursing' into my practice by providing partnership and resources help people compassionately honor their health.

spring ritual

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, gardening, italian

my italian grandmother always said her birthday was on the first day of spring. actually, every so often she was right; her birthday was march 21st, and spring is usually on march 20th, but not always:(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox).  one sure sign that spring had come when i was little was The Making of the Dandelion Salad. my grandmother … Continue reading spring ritual

oh, the rain!

by Karen, posted in family

gather the animals! build the ark!~actually, we have to (re)build the retaining wall that collapsed last night,  sending wildlife (mice, night crawlers, grubs as big as your head...) out into the night. also the one that held UP the back stairs, and the one that held BACK the water that had collected over the past several weeks … Continue reading oh, the rain!

potlucks

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, health

march is nutrition month, and this year we celebrated it at work by having a potluck. the general overall theme was healthy eating; the underlying challenge was to prepare and bring healthy foods that people wanted to eat, which left quite a wide range open for interpretation.  we had the requisite fruit and veggie tray, and … Continue reading potlucks

cookie break!

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, baking, recipes

and speaking of cookies...recently my coworker was walking around with a plate of her latest offering: homemade cookies. way to boost morale in the workplace!  one of her favorite websites for recipes is http://www.kingarthurflour.com.  i tried some of the recipes from this website and had great success with them (the blueberry muffins were a big hit with … Continue reading cookie break!

marching into may

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, health

i just took a walk, then negated the benefits of said walk by accepting and eating a homemade peanut butter oatmeal cookie when i got back to work. i took the walk because this year i signed up for March into May, a program designed to help you become more active. you set your own … Continue reading marching into may

do the thing you think you cannot

by Karen, posted in family, no fear

when i was invited to go indoor rock climbing by a friend, my immediate (inward) response was  "no freakin' way!", followed by a polite "no, thank you," expressed outwardly.  then, one of my favorite quotes came to mind: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You … Continue reading do the thing you think you cannot

when you don’t know what you don’t know

by Karen, posted in family

i signed my daughter up for horseback riding lessons at a local barn. i don't ride and am not very familiar with horses so although i was confused about a few things i saw happening there, i chalked it up to my own ignorance and just kept bringing her back... but i also kept a close eye on her while she rode. after a … Continue reading when you don’t know what you don’t know

a spring miracle

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, gardening

i was amazed to see that my garden from LAST year has spinach and lettuce growing in it THIS year...how could this happen? first of all, both are supposedly annuals (http://www.learn2grow.com/plant-guides/vegetables/leafy-vegetables-lettuce-spinach/)...did they survive the winter?  hallelujah! then i thought, sure, it's growing, but is it edible? this not being medieval times, i had no assayer … Continue reading a spring miracle

grieving my dead relatives, part 3

by Karen, posted in good grief, italian

my paternal grandmother's birthday is today. her name was originally 'maria', anglicized to 'mary'  (as so many were so many others) when she arrived here from italy around 1924 (http://www.ellisisland.org/). she died at the age of 93, about 6 years ago. she had sort of reconciled herself to the reality of her cognitive decline, as … Continue reading grieving my dead relatives, part 3

no umbrella big enough

by Karen, posted in news

sandra bullock got some interesting news from her publicist the other day. the man she was seated across the breakfast table from was not the same man that she married. you know...at the wedding. who promised (one would assume) fidelity for more than one month of the year. it was a courtesy call about an upcoming … Continue reading no umbrella big enough