The Discipline of Commitment

For many people commitment has become something negative – a four-letter word.  Each day we are faced with decisions and opportunities.  Avoiding commitment is not possible.  Commitment takes discipline.  How can you discipline yourself to commit?...

Got Grit?

On our recent vacation, my husband wanted to hike to the tippy-top of Black Elk Peak to view the Black Hills of South Dakota from a magnificent fire tower made entirely of stone, perched on a summit high above everything else for hundreds of miles. It sounded so...

Year End Tax Planning

In my tax practice, some of the the most frequently asked questions I receive are about year end tax planning.  As December 31st quickly approaches, here are some basic concepts to consider in trying to maximize deductions and minimize taxes. The basic...

Party ’til the Police Come!

Picture it: Small Town, Minnesota, 1991. Twelve women were sitting around folding tables playing cards while their collective preschool children played upstairs. The children ran through every now and again to check in with their mom, or tattle on what Susie did to...

The Old Red Etch-A-Sketch

My youngest daughter, Jenessa, is an artist.  Ever since she was a little girl, she would sit down in the middle of the floor, her crayons, scissors, glitter, and glue sprawled out beside her, and would begin the adventurous task of creating some new work of...