Loving, Caring, Authentic
SueAnneKirkhamOfficialLogo.png

Recipes for Life

We offer inspirational real-life stories about PEOPLE OF FAITH AND COURAGE; menus and cooking directions meant to fuel your creative inclinations and your healthy body in the form of MUSINGS OF A MIDWESTERN FOODIE; and ADVICE FOR LIFE from the perspective of those who have lived it to maturity.

Posts in Personal Growth
New Year's Absolutions

I've been thinking about things in my life I'd like to revise in 2024. Not alone in that, certainly. Virtually every newspaper or magazine you pick up this time of year reminds us of our obligation to take advantage of a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate, and all the other clichéd redundancies.

But this year I felt a need to approach things a bit differently.

Read More
The Sound of Silence

Noise has always bothered me. The kaboom of Independence Day fireworks made me cower as a child. The roar of the State Fair midway sent me running in search of a saner space as a teenager. And as a 20-something, the frantic buzzing of rush hour traffic while waiting for a bus left me straining for escape.

As an adult,

Read More
Seeking Serenity in a Turbulent World

I went neighborhood bathing before breakfast today.

Before your eyebrows disappear into your hairline, this did not involve my playing Goldilocks with various neighbors' bathtubs. In fact, no shocking display of inappropriate behavior was involved. This early morning ritual of ambling the winding streets surrounding my townhouse cluster is simply my version of what trendy types call "forest bathing."

Read More
Deal or No Deal?

Have you ever noticed the attitude of contestants on quiz shows when they've opted to take the prize money they've already accumulated and walk away rather than risking it on the chance to gain even more?

Read More
Happiness Is . . .

It's time for some happy talk. So dive in for the latest in practical and research-based formulas for reclaiming bright spirits in a world that feeds our fears and insecurities as if it were tossing peanuts to hungry zoo animals.

Read More
A Boy and His Dog . . . and His Cats and His Other Dog and His Chipmunk: Part II

Benji is eleven inches tall at the shoulders, has seven inch legs, and weighs fourteen pounds. He has a hairless potbelly which is stained bright red from the iron ore-rich ground he walks on.

Benji loves everyone and is a patient and serene beast. He allows cats to sleep with him, as long as they don’t try to lay on him. When he walks, he wobbles from stern to bow in an appealing waddle.

Above anything else in the world, Benny loves food. Although dry food is left out for the dogs, they still receive a canned treat in the evening, and Benny’s day is centered on this event. While he’s sucking up this canned food, his little body stiffens like a puppy’s, and—between the slurping sounds—can be heard little snuffles, snorts, and moans of pleasure.

Read More