• Arts & crafts,  Creativity and discovery

    Love & inspiration

    “Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can ever go wrong.” ~Ella Fitzgerald I’m lucky to have so many talented people in my life. One friend knits the most charming creations, including toys for my grandson. Others create breathtaking landscape art with their cameras, and a few turn their photos or watercolors into greeting card prints. Still others are outstanding quilters, musicians, painters, writers, cooks, or designers. It doesn’t matter whether or not they market or perform their work. Or if they’re published or famous. What matters is that they make creativity part of their everyday lives — and inspire the rest of us to use our…

  • Events & news

    I’ll be back

    Good morning! As noted in Monday’s post, COVID-19 knocked me down this week. I’m still in quarantine, not feeling like myself yet, and will resume posting next week. If you’re new to Life Lines, or have missed any recent posts, please visit www.laferle.com. The site features archived columns, photos, and links to featured articles that aren’t included with your daily email posts, so please visit the site if you want to view the additional material. Have a healthy and happy weekend! ~Cindy La Ferle

  • Brene Brown,  COVID-19 stories,  Health & wellbeing

    Being vulnerable

    “I spent a lot of years trying to outrun or outsmart vulnerability by making things certain and definite, black and white, good and bad. My inability to lean into the discomfort of vulnerability limited the fullness of those important experiences that are also wrought with uncertainty: Love, belonging, trust, joy, and creativity to name a few.” ~Brene Brown For a while there, Doug and I were feeling smug (or invincible) because we’d dodged the COVID-19 bullet for so long. We got our vaccines, avoided unnecessary risks, and wore masks when necessary. Our close friends and family members have been careful, too, although many of them caught the damned virus anyway.…

  • Books change lives,  Metro Parent magazine,  Where I'm published,  Women's issues

    Women need a break

    “By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class.” ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea Universities across the country are gearing up for spring break — some as early as the first week of March. While I have no plans for a beach getaway next week, just reading the words “spring break” makes me want to sniff a bottle of coconut oil. Few people need a vacation more than caregivers and moms with young kids. In Metro Parent, I shared a memory of my visit to Captiva Island, where Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote her classic seaside…

  • Generosity,  Self-confidence

    Playing from the heart

    “If I am smart in business, it’s just that I’m smart about who I am. I know what I can, can’t, will, and won’t do. And if I have to be strict about that, I will.” ~Dolly Parton I’ve always admired Dolly Parton. Not necessarily because of her musical talents — although it’s worth noting that she can play close to 20 instruments, including the fiddle, mandolin and pan-flute. Even with those long acrylic fingernails. I get a kick out of her over-the-top wardrobe, personality, and showmanship. As Dolly’s quote reminds us, it takes a huge helping of self-confidence to pull it off. But what impresses me even more is her…

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