God puts people in your life long before you know you’ll need them. Our last season of hockey as a family of five brought new and closer friendships. One man was a delight to get to know and Adam and I enjoyed talking to him. He was wheelchair bound, which isn’t easy in a northern climate. Snow, ice, dicey roads and tons of travel for hockey, but...
Read MoreSummer is here. That means it is grilling season. Smoking meat. Blackstone breakfasts. Time to cook outside. Adam loved cooking meat. Inviting people over to eat his smoked ribs, meatloaf, pulled pork, or burgers. He enjoyed buying in bulk and cooking for the masses. After losing Adam, we created the Lt. Adam Gustafson Memorial Fund (LAGMF) as a...
Read MoreOn my last radio appearance, we talked new years, new goals. Not quite “resolutions” because the word itself seems to imply lofty aspirations and certain failure. I shared the monthly goal list I work from and how breaking the year down into 12 smaller goals makes it easier for me to find
Read MoreI’m grateful for this space to process my grief. I am still surprised when someone stops me to say they read my blog or sends me an email about a specific post that meant something to them. Blogs can feel like you’re writing to everyone and no one at all. I’ve been writing my whole life and never put it
Read MoreWhat dreams are you pursuing in 2024? I’m making a list. I’ve always been a resolution girl. Love to chart out a course for the coming year full of adventure and accomplishment.
Read MoreI was never an audio book person until my husband died. I spent hours outside walking, riding bike, running, and hours in the car driving kids to practice, waiting for pickup, killing time before the start of a game. I found that idle time was best spent walking and listening to something and I’ve burned through many wonderful audio books as a...
Read MoreWhen we moved to this house, we always planned on adding a bar. It’s a rambler with a large basement. One big main room that needed to be broken up and a kitchen/bar area was just the thing. We never got it done. If I wait another year or two it will never happen. I’ll be saying the kids only a have a few years left at home and then this house...
Read MoreIn my early days of grief, I spent a lot of time outside walking, running, and biking to praise and worship music. As a new widow, with the shock still so fresh, one lyric jumped out at me. In the song “Jireh” by Elevation Worship it says: “I will be content in every
Read MoreI've known ever since Adam died that the kindness and generosity showered on our family was something extraordinary that we could never repay. Hundreds of kind souls - from family and friends, law enforcement professionals and military veterans, to hockey families, neighbors, childhood friends and absolute strangers showed up for us - attended...
Read MoreI used to love making resolutions, goals, lists of things to accomplish in a new year. As a grieving, single-parent I don’t need that kind of pressure. I don’t want a list that overwhelms and eventually falls by the wayside. This year I’m picking one thing.
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