When you become a widow unexpectedly, you are overwhelmed by many things. One is paperwork. There are mounds of it - so many accounts to review, deal with, and close - or rework into your own name. Payments to keep track of, people who are assisting with the death, documents regarding the end of employment, the end of a life. It doesn’t take...
Read MoreI traveled well in 2023, with adventures in both Scotland and Egypt. While in Scotland, my friend Krista and I visited the Johnnie Walker flagship store on Princes Street in Edinburgh. We took the Johnnie Walker Journey of Flavor tour, and it was full of unexpected surprises. You don’t need to like—or even know anything about—whiskey to enjoy...
Read MoreBirthdays are always hard. We threw big parties. Adam cooked a lot of food. I feel his absence. Not just for me in all the planning and prep, but for my children. I hate that he is not here to see how much they have grown. It hurts my heart to know the young ages they lost their father: 6, 10, and
Read MoreIf you missed it, we took the train to Whitefish, Montana for a spring break ski trip. The train was so much fun and I loved it for a carefree one-day trek. We stayed in a village condo halfway up the mountain. None of us had skied Whitefish before so we had to get familiar with the easy slopes - find the greens and
Read MoreIt’s coming early this year. Our 3rd Lt. Adam Gustafson Memorial Golf Tournament is Monday, June 16, 2025, at the Hawley Golf Club. Adam loved to golf. He was frustrated by the game, but never gave up. Had standing weekly tee times. Taught me the game and our children. It’s a beautiful sport because you can walk in the sun with a beverage and...
Read MoreOur actual spring break from school was going to be spent at the Bantam State Hockey tournament in Plymouth, Minnesota, so we had to skip out a week early to get a ski trip in this year. It was the first time my kids would ski on actual mountains, instead of ski hills in Minnesota. I was nervous for them and excited. I love exposing them to new...
Read MoreMy relationship with time is forever changed. When you lose your husband so suddenly, unexpectedly, with decades ahead - it is the harshest of realities. I make less plans. I do not look so far ahead.
Read MoreI’m excited to share a dream that’s finally becoming a reality! The Whiskey Widow Gifts and Greens is an online store designed to make encouragement effortless. So often, we want to show up for someone going through a tough time but don’t know how—or life gets busy, and we end up doing nothing. My little online shop exists to help change
Read MoreI am making room for new things. Making it a priority to say yes. To go, learn, and do. I tried Nordic Thermal Cycling for the first time at Moonglade. Hot sauna. Cold plunge. Rest and recovery. I was a bit apprehensive about the cold plunge portion because I loathe being cold, but decided to give this experience a try. In 90 minutes, we cycled...
Read MoreI’ve always loved taking photos. I scheduled the newborn photo shoots and made sure we had family pictures for our annual Christmas card. I loved sending them out, but after losing Adam, I stopped. No more family photo shoots. No more Christmas cards. I look back at these and ache for the family we once were and for the pain we didn't know was...
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