Life Junctions LLC

Congratulations to .

So proud of you for carving out your own collegiate path...twice now. You made .bomi and me appreciate maize. Go Blue!

“But, if I’ve learned anything from parenting, it matters way more that you’re present than that you’re perfect.” - , Funny Story

On this Mother’s Day, the first without my Mom, this quote seems to take on another meeting.

I wish everyone a love-filled day.

My Little Blue Waves Cowl is one of many WIPs I’ve been neglecting…

This time of year, when we think about improvements we want to make, we tend to add habits and goals when it may be better to subtract.

I was reminded of this when I popped into an estate sale in my apartment building. My younger daughter was searching for kitchen things for her apartment when she moves out of the dorms next year. I wasn’t planning on getting anything.

But, when I saw this set of rose-colored stackable refrigerator boxes, I couldn’t resist, even though I knew there is no extra space in my kitchen cabinets.

But of course I did. I just had to be willing to get rid of stuff. I tossed out least a dozen reusable water bottles and coffee mugs. (We still have a decent supply.)

This made me think about other things I add to my to project list every quarter like organizg old photos or having them and old DVDs converted to digital files. I may decide to never do these things but for now they are definitely off my 2026 list.

So, what might you subtract?

“Science investigates; religion interprets… The two are not rivals. They are complementary. Science keeps religion from sinking into the valley of crippling irrationalism and paralyzing obscurantism. Religion prevents science from falling into the marsh of obsolete materialism and moral nihilism.” - Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart”

I bought Strength to Love for my Dad but I found the book on my Mother’s bookshelf. During her last days earlier this month I read from it while by her bedside.

My younger daughter had asked me to make sure she saw flowers when she opened her eyes. I got to the Seoul flower market too late but managed to find a poinsettia pop-up!!

(Sorry no knitting notes. I was just not in the mood. 😞 But I recently picked up my needles again, so please stay tuned.)

Doing something hard yet important can feel challenging because our brains can picture the worst based on the past. Meanwhile, we can’t imagine “new and good” possibilities the future can hold.

A couple of weeks ago, my brother and I made an unplanned trip to Seoul. My mom’s health has taken a serious turn. I braced myself for more heartache having watched Alzheimer’s take more and more of her over the past 7 years.

What I couldn’t have imagined was the odd peace and moments of sweetness, like my brother giving our dad a haircut.

The next time you’re facing something hard, something you dread, remember: alongside the difficult, there may be something surprising you couldn’t have imagined. It may not cancel out the bad, but it is good nonetheless.

Has something like this surprised you too? Please share them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you. ❤️

“Nothing in life is as joy producing or as misery inducing as we think it is. appreciating this truth can not only liberate us, empower us, and broaden our horizons, but it can grant us our best opportunity to choose well, to get it right.”

Using leftover angora to make a chain link scarf or cowl. I think I could have planned this a bit better but we’ll see how it goes.

After a busy summer, all I wanted was to stay home and work on my book. Kyle, however, suggested we get away for a month, promising that I would have ample time to write and have some fun.

I was skeptical and resisted. He insisted.

In the end, he curated a writing retreat just for me.

After writing during the day, I experienced a familiar city in new ways, drinking, eating and bowling with old friends and knitting with strangers. As is his signature, he got me to see four games at the lakeside stadium and watch him run a marathon in Berlin. I learned to take better photos and appreciate street art there, too. We then enjoyed cats, sights and food during a quick stop in Istanbul. The finale was my 35th college reunion. Go Cats!

I learned (again) that giving up control and accepting help often leads to better outcomes.

Thank you

“Your head is the house you live in, so you have to do the maintenance.” -

Wise wisdom from a fun read.

I finished my Getting Warmer Cowl with lovely yarn purchased at in time for last week but it was hot to wear. That’s OK. The Cats beat the Bruins!!

For more information about my book notes or knitting, see links in bio.

“Don’t be cool; be warm.”

I spotted this graffiti in Berlin. It captures great advice I didn’t know about making good first impressions. Fortunately, I learned about it while doing research for my book.

, Susan Fiske, and found that upon meeting someone new, we make quick judgements (often based on stereotypes) on two key dimensions:

Warmth: Will this person help or harm me?
Competence: Can they actually follow through?

High warmth, high competence -> admiration
Low warmth, low competence -> contempt
High warmth, low competence -> pity
High competence, low warmth -> envy

In her HBR article, Amy Cuddy recommends that leaders start with warmth then competence.

For most of my life, had that backwards; knowing I was not cool, I tried to prove I was smart. Moving forward, I will aim on being kind and empathetic.

What do you do when you want to make a good first impression?

“Her father always said that the price for hearing gossip was having someone else gossip about you.” - , Pretty Girls

Sharing two firsts:

My first foray into Karin Slaughter’s world. Despite that this book scared and disturbed me, I could not put it down. And of course, there was wisdom in it to learn from too!

Learning a new needle craft: Sashiko!! I was drawn to it because it is simple and beautiful. Now I’m taken by its origins. The Japanese used it to strengthen the cotton and to repair it as a way to give their towels and clothing longer life!

Last December at the Setagaya Boro-ichi (an annual flea market held since 1578), I had the loveliest conversation with this artist who was selling “bean trees.”

She spoke English and did not consider herself an artist, but clearly is. Moreover, she had such a joyful demeanor to match the fun “beans” made from traditional fabric scraps.

It took a lot of care to bring my branch home from Tokyo via Seoul, but it was worth the effort because now I get to remember my inspiring conversation with a stranger and feel her joy again.

And, I hope that by sharing this I might inspire you to talk to a stranger, too.