Wife, mother, and dot-connector. Economic developer by profession, writer by passion. Blogger at www.FlutteringBy.me
Published in the May 2015 edition of Bakersfield Life Magazine. They call me the dot connector in my office. I enjoy connecting the who, why, how and the with whom of today and yesterday. In my business (economic development), that can come in pretty handy. The best part for me, personally, is the vibrant tapestry … More It’s All About Friends and Family…That’s Why I Call This Place Home
Tomorrow marks the beginnng of a season of big days for our family. It’s open house for accepted students at Cal Poly SLO, so it will be Zack’s first time on campus as a future Mustang (technically Mustang 2.0 since his high school mascot is also the Mustang). And while Zack is wrapping up high … More Mustang 2.0 – The Road to Our Empty Nest
Her bright orange petals were tucked in, close to her body, like a cape ready to unfurl. She stood tall and proud. A single, regal-looking California Poppy, mostly protected from the warm, late spring sunshine. She may well have been striving to be the last poppy standing, and I think she might make it! She … More Discovering a Whole New World, Just Outside My Back Door
I had lunch with a friend yesterday who really gets me. She’s taken my hand many times over the past year, figuratively and literally, and walked with me through what she and I call “the fire.” She’s the person who taught me that, when we’re facing the loss of a loved one (or any loss, … More Walking Through the Fire
I thought it would be Mother’s Day. That’s the day I thought I’d miss her the most, the day I’d be mostly acutely aware of the void, the gaping hole, in my world. Eight months after saying goodbye, I am feeling stronger in general. But I brace myself when I see one of “those days” … More A Motherly Kind of Love
My past few years have been full of beautiful times and blessings…and also the hardest challenges I’ve ever faced. During that time I’ve learned something quite interesting: I now believe trials and disappointment just might be the fastest (albeit bumpiest) path to clarifying what matters most to me. Hard times have proven to be the … More Disappointment Has Revealed the True Desires of My Heart
I have spent the past week hauling freshly-drawn milk in buckets hanging from a belt around my waist. I’ve been picking poke salad and gathering pecans. I’ve been walking to school, barefoot, bruising my feet and losing toenails along the way. And in the past seven days, I spent nine days in the back of … More Little House on the Prairie Had Nothin’ on These Kids
The roots of a family tree are a lot like the roots of a real tree. Sometimes they aren’t visible at all; you know they’re there and have been for many years, but they are covered up by the rich soil, doing their job, not demanding any attention whatsoever. Other times, the rugged, old, and … More Getting to the Root of the Story
In a world where personnel managers often scramble for employees who are technically competent to fill their vacant positions, the desire for a truly customer-friendly workforce may be put on the back burner. Don’t let that happen! Building a team that makes your customers their top priority may well be your fastest route to happy … More Top-Notch Customer Service Brings Customers Back Again and Again
My initial goal was one each week. One post every week on my shiny, new blog. When Jake and I set it up on November 6, nearly three months ago, I wasn’t sure I could maintain that schedule, but at that time I wasn’t too worried about it. After all, this was really all about … More 30 Blog Posts to the Center of My Soul
FlutteringBy 