Begin with Joy

gratitude

When Expectations Meet the Beach

– Posted in: gratitude

I visited one of my favorite Lake Michigan beaches, Esch Road Beach, in mid July. I like to walk along this beach in the early morning before the throngs of people arrive. To the north of the bay one can see the Empire Bluffs rising 200 feet from the waves below. To the south, Point [...]

Bad Times, Good Times

– Posted in: gratitude

On most days, the Ohio River does not flow through the streets of downtown Marietta, Ohio. However, this city does have a history of flooding in extreme weather situations. The last major flood was in 2004 when the Ohio Valley was hit by the heavy rains of Hurricane Ivan. There are several markers on downtown [...]

Mitigating the Winter Doldrums

– Posted in: gratitude

Winters can be long. Sometimes really long. There’s comes a time when most Northerners are just done with the shortage of daylight and the inconvenience of wintery weather. Those who can, head out for warmer and sunnier climates. Others huddle by sun lamps. Most get more grumpy. More often than not, the top two photos [...]