Author Archives: Kate Kresse

About Kate Kresse

I love to write, I love to talk, I love to uplift people when I can. I am a woman in love with life. I am a wife, mom, tutor, writer, and I am a perennial optimist. (OK not every single minute but you get the point! :-)

Good Wednesday to you

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Kate Kresse

As you begin your day, focus on the blessings. If you have sorrow, if you are lonely, reach out. Or get busy doing something. Please remember. You matter. You make a difference in this life. It really is a wonderful … Continue reading →

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wishing you porch swings and compasses

Posted on September 25, 2021 by Kate Kresse

I like to think of my life as an ongoing tapestry or as a journey through an ever changing landscape. The path I am on was made by Him, and I work to trust Him even if I get bogged … Continue reading →

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Pause with me

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Happy Saturday. How are you doing today? Do you feel the need to pause and collapse this weekend?To pause to restore and regroup is a comforting way to put it. For me, striking a balance between stepping back to pause … Continue reading →

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was right

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Kate Kresse

I don’t know about you, but poetry is something I grew up with. Teachers had us memorize and recite poetry. Mom loved poetry. One of her favorite poets was Longfellow (along with Kipling and Stevenson). Her favorite Longfellow poem was … Continue reading →

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I fell in love with the ocean

Posted on August 29, 2021 by Kate Kresse

I grew up in Minnesota and Chicago. I loved the rivers and lakes. Beach time was precious. In my adult life I have lived within about an hour and 15 min from the ocean. Oh, boy, that is incredible. My … Continue reading →

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H2O therapy

Posted on August 28, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Anyone else feel de-stressed around water? Yesterday afternoon, I headed to our community pool and went for a quick swim. Being in the water works like a charm for me. My favorite, of course,is the ocean. But, a river, lake, … Continue reading →

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Get out there …

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Kate Kresse

This is so good. Substitute your name in the stuff below. Show up! Written by John Roedel “Me: Hey God.God: Hey John. Me: I’m not leaving my house.God: Today is not the day you can allow yourself to withdraw from … Continue reading →

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Stay in grace

Posted on August 22, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Good morning! Here we are at the start of a new week. I was thinking about direction for this week, as I had my morning coffee and watched the birds in my yard.. Does watching nature calm you?youth? Need calm … Continue reading →

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Sometimes You Just Have to Have Popcorn

Posted on August 21, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Many years ago, my husband and I were living in an apartment in Minnesota. He had to take a business trip to the west coast. He was gone for a few days. One night I got home from work and … Continue reading →

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Wait …. ok, let’s go

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Monday night –> how are you doing? I am feeling grateful tonight. I am grateful for people who care and people who post things that remind me of the good and kind way of doing things….I have been on SO … Continue reading →

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May God bless you tonight

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Kate Kresse

My prayer for you is that God ease your mind tonight. May peace and healing rest calm and restore you. Good night and may God bless your sleeping and your awakening.

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The Great Depression & my parents

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Did your parents grow up during the Great Depression? My parents grew up during that time. It affected how they lived their lives. It made them very careful with their money. It made them wise. They knew the importance of … Continue reading →

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A thread a memory

Posted on July 18, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Here we are starting a new week. I find myself awash with memories and stories. It is funny. When I look at the tapestry of my life thus far, I see connecting threads that didn’t connect in real time. Only … Continue reading →

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Link arms at the campfire

Posted on July 17, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Always have hope, dear hearts. Despite the things or people that tear your heart apart, believe anyway. There is always someone in your corner. Believe anyway. Go to the campfires where the loving people are. Sit beside them. Link arms. … Continue reading →

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So Awkward!!

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Go ahead and be your own weird self. If you feel awkward in your own skin some days, how do you handle it?I either cocoon until the feeling goes away, or I reach out to someone (eventually).I think many of … Continue reading →

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Not just a chore: a chance for gratitude

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Kate Kresse

I hope your Thursday goes well. What is on your mind and heart today?Are you filled with wonder at God’s creation? When I hear the birds singing in the trees in my yard and see the sunny sky, I try … Continue reading →

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Do you ever wonder if you’ve still got it

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Do you sometimes wonder if you’ve still “got it”?Do you add multiple paths in an attempt to do great in some area?Does your heart long to make a difference like a deer thirsts for water?I can identify with all of … Continue reading →

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The view will be spectacular

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Kate Kresse

“Do i prefer to be as young as my hope or as old as my despair? It is in the shaking off of the despair and the cynicism that we claim or reclaim joy. I wish you messages of hope, … Continue reading →

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Sail on

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Get your rose-colored glasses ready! We know that optimism has been linked to better mental and physical health, and even to a longer life. How, then, to quiet optimism’s opposite: the naysayers in your mind that tend to dwell on … Continue reading →

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Joy girl

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Kate Kresse

How are you doing tonight? I am feeling “up”, which is good. A few days ago, I was feeling a bit down. It happens to all of us. There are times when I am just dragging. On those days, I … Continue reading →

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Wishing us all a mindful Memorial Day

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Today I wish to thank all who paid the ultimate sacrifice, losing a family member while serving in the military. I did have family members who served. Many of them passed on, but none passed on during wartime. My heart … Continue reading →

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The need to feel at home

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Roofs – by Joyce Kilmer ‘The road is wide and the stars are out and the breath of the night issweet,And this is the time when wanderlust should seize upon my feet.But I’m glad to turn from the open road and … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Life and Issues, Friendship, God, Nature, stress, time management | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Rise and shine! Don’t be a droopy-drawers

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Kate Kresse

So, it began when I was a kiddo. “Rise and shine. Make today one of your very best days,” my dad would say, every day. How did your day begin today? Mine began with my sweet dogs showering me with … Continue reading →

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It is hard to believe

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Kate Kresse

It is hard to believe we are already in the double digits part of May. When I was a kid, May meant dance recitals, piano recitals, final exams, making summer plans, getting book recommendations from teachers and librarians, the scent … Continue reading →

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bill + settlement house

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Kate Kresse

http://abilitiesawareness.blogspot.com/2006/01/bills-legacy-lives-on-in-coffeeshop.html MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2006 Bill’s legacy lives on in coffeeshop Bill Sackter has been gone for more than 20 years now. He died in 1983. But his spirit lives on here at Wild Bill’s Coffeeshop in Iowa City, Iowa. … Continue reading →

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Just one cup of coffee a day?

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Kate Kresse

I was thinking about coffee this morning. I love coffee. I come by that honestly. My dad’s side of the family is 100% Norwegian-American. My mom’s side of the family is 100% Irish-American. Both sides loved coffee. I don’t recall … Continue reading →

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How are you today?

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Kate Kresse

Today i am feeling reflective. I have been thinking about the ups and downs of life. With all that is going on in the country and the world, my perennial optimism has been squeezed and squished, ALMOST eliminated. The emphasis … Continue reading →

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Mama’s Counterpane and Me

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Kate Kresse

I started reading when I was very young . I was 3 or 4 years old. I credit my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents for this. They were all voracious readers. They were all huge fans of libraries, as they … Continue reading →

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Ballet transported me

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Kate Kresse

When I was a toddler my pediatrician recommended that I take ballet. Apparently, I was extremely uncoordinated due to the fact I was born pigeon toed. I was falling over, tripping and running into things. I didn’t even walk until … Continue reading →

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Do you remember who your first friends were?

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Kate Kresse

In these COVID days, I have been thinking a lot. I have been thinking about friendships and family. It is funny. Sometimes friendships begin because your teacher’s seating chart places you next to someone who turns out to be “a … Continue reading →

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Mama’s Button Tin

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Kate Kresse

When I was growing up, my parents “made do”. My mom made all of our clothes except for socks, underwear, and shoes. She did make our slippers, though. She could see an article of clothing in an ad or hanging … Continue reading →

Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope | 5 Comments