Preparing this October newsletter ahead of my usual deadline is happening a little differently—but through the magic of all things software, here we are!

As many of you know, I’m heading to Watamu, Kenya, and going on safari as well! I’ll be sharing Chiropractic, along with a team of doctors and students in a community that has been waiting for us to come back.

I know I’ll expand my own knowledge and skills, while growing even more deeply in my passion for this wonderful gift of restoring life through the Chiropractic adjustment.

Welcome to September! Although it’s still officially summer, if you blink, you realize we are now on the other side of the season. The 8pm sundown hour has slipped a bit toward the coming autumn, and Mother Nature continues to bring us all the aspects of weather! Muggy, cool, drenching rains, humidity… and then it begins again. One thing is for sure: life continues to change, and we must continue to adapt.

It's a gorgeous morning here on the back porch as I write. I just returned from a long weekend on Cape Cod, and a little step-away reset is always a wonderful thing. I hope you're finding moments this summer to pause—to put your feet in the grass, the sand, the water, or along a favorite trail—and simply breathe.

One of the blessings of practicing in our garden office is that every day brings a different view. This week it was hummingbirds visiting the tall phlox, curious critters making their rounds, and dramatic summer downpours. Nature has a way of reminding us that whatever comes our way, we adapt.

Every now and then I have the opportunity to explain what I call the layers of trust.

Each time I do, I realize I should write it down. So here we go..

When you first came to our office, chances are you found us in one of two ways. Either through someone you know—a family member, friend, or co-worker—recommended us, or you read our Google reviews. In either case, someone else's positive experience gave you a reason to trust us before we ever met.

Laptop time on the back porch as the last days of May slip away. What a weather ride it's been—heat waves, downpours, lightning, and blue skies, sometimes all in the same week!

Patients arrived for adjustments in everything from flip-flops to turtlenecks.

Through it all, the garden did not disappoint. The purple irises were spectacular this year, and thankfully not high on the deer menu. With the sliding door open, the waterfall provides a soothing soundtrack - nature outside helps the healing within.

Recently, at a networking breakfast, I spoke about the power of a good introduction. We role-played two ways of describing the same business. One focused on what a person does. The other focused on their why. Which conversation would you continue?

A: "I am a commercial realtor."

Or...

B: "I help people sleep better at night."

These are the late spring days that we search for ahh, like Goldilocks, we are looking for the days and weather and moments that are—"not too hot, not too cold… just right".

Well April is here and for those of us looking for some spring growth and longer light, it is a welcome sight! 

We’ve shifted from rock salt to fertilizer and from snowplows to lawn mowers.

Each season has a reason; winter gave the earth and our lives a bit of rest to pull in and rejuvenate. I hope you’re enjoying seeing all the colors start to pop in our area, ballgames are beginning and backyard animals scampering about.. gotta love it. :)

Your body’s wisdom has started a cycle of change too. It’s the normal process of life: our winter coats are heading to the back of the closet and our pets' coats are coming off too, being shed. It's a time of clearing, lightening and opening windows, spring cleaning!

March is the third month of the calendar year, and so I began to ponder on the number three, and how it is everywhere; in time, history, in culture, music and science (and shamrocks!).

How many grouping of three can you immediately think of? Here’s a start:

• Body Mind and Spirit,

• Small, Medium, Large

• Past, Present, Future

• Earth, Wind & Fire!

Do you love these cold winter days? Some say yes, but many are saying

"No way! I can't wait for Spring!"

Here's the thing: Winter NEEDS to happen. The earth sleeps in cycles and takes her naps and hibernation periods to restore and reabsorb her energy. At the office we appreciate our sleeping garden outside the adjusting room. Even in its dormant state, the promise of what is to come keeps us watching. This year's arctic temps and record snows also bring much to enjoy as the birds and more come close to feed and leave tracks. The koi are deep down under the pond's ice, slumbering through these weeks. Brrrr!

Shifting gears... One little number. We turned the page from the 25th year of this century to the brand new 26th. Deep breath – Doesn't it always feel like a new beginning when we start a new year? It’s the opportunity to make new plans, dreams, and to organize and release the past year’s ‘stuff’. Most of us have things that we don’t want to carry over. Take the time to look at what worked, what didn’t and then redesign a happy storyboard for yourself.

Last week I said yes to an impromptu afternoon with some longtime chiro gal pals—each one a loving sister/friend. For more than 30 years we’ve lifted each other up and shared a deep love for our profession.

We strolled, shopped, sampled treats, and soaked in the pre-holiday glow. It was a much-needed pause, and I loved playing local tour guide for their first Christkindlmarkt visit here in Bethlehem.

Every November, one way or another, I try to plant idea seeds, some food for thought, as we enter into the final eight weeks of the year.

I think we are all in agreement that 2025 has been on the fast track; it zoomed by with a speed like no other. The coming holidays are literally nipping at our heels. Merchandise and ads start showing up earlier each year.

Crisp days can mean many things to each of us. Bring out those sweaters! Warm up the cider! Go Birds! Whatever you're doing remember life is ALWAYS better when you're well-adjusted! The season brings Thanksgiving and more, with celebrating, travel, food preparations. It can become all consuming and may result in disease and subluxation.

Summer went zip, and now we’re prepping for the crunchy, colorful days of autumn, even as our local temps are still hitting the 80s. 

Change is all around us and I remain keenly aware of when there’s a lull of quiet amid the bustle of to-do lists, events and projects. It doesn’t happen often, but it gets me to thinking…

On the back porch early—time to get this month's newsletter done! The morning light is soft, the air is cool—48 degrees in August and it feels like Autumn already. I have my hooded sweater on, wow.. Kids are back in school, routines are shifting, and though Summer isn’t over, the longer light days are winding down.

Driving home now, sunset comes sooner. I can tell how the adjusting room sunlight seems to move faster. Mornings are darker too—my alarm goes off and I'm now up at “dark o’clock.” I’m a natural-light lover, so I take quick notice to these shift in the late summer light.

BJ Palmer, the Developer of Chiropractic, loved shortening words. So here's

a “Chiro thot” on Light.

And just like that, it’s the golden heart of summer. Ahh, August! How is it that we wait all year for summer to arrive—and zoom—it’s halfway over, and the stores already have holiday decorations on display? What’s the message here?

 It feels like the world is always trying to rush us forward. But let’s not miss what’s right in front of us. As the saying goes, “Today is the gift—that’s why it’s called the present.”

Every year, I make sure to get my toes in the sand, support a kid’s lemonade stand, enjoy a juicy slice of watermelon, and search for that perfect drip-down-my-chin peach. What summer rituals bring you joy?

One recent conversation in the office sparked my thought for this issue:

our bodies are always working for us, whether we notice or not.

We hear the obvious messages:

• Stomach rumbling? Time to eat.

• Bladder full? Better find a bathroom.

• Heart racing? Could be a sprint across the lot—or that suspenseful movie.

But what about the quiet functions—the ones that don't speak up until it's too late? Think about how we care for our teeth: we brush, floss, and visit the dentist before anything hurts. Same with vision—we get checkups even when we see “just fine.” Why? Because we’ve been taught to pursue self care proactively.

Lately, I’ve been noticing that everywhere I go, I see —heads down, eyes on screens.

At the dinner table, on the beach, walking the dog, in the drive-thru line, while getting a pedicure.

And although cell phones have made life more convenient, somewhere along the way, we’ve started missing what’s right in front of us.

We scroll to pass the time, swipe to feel connected, tap to buy, tap again to escape. And, poof.. true present time consciousness is so easily lost.

"Show me a deep breath…"

I ask you to breathe in whenever you’re on the table. Why? Because your breathing tells me so much about your spine and nerve system!

(Deep gratitude to my teacher, mentor, and dear friend, the late Dr. Arno Burnier, who helped me truly understand the wisdom in observing breath during my spinal analysis.)

Spring is a time for blooms. Every morning I spy new colorful offerings that weren't there the day before. Snowdrops, forsythia, daffodils, and grape hyacinths. They fill me with joy and surprise! Of course, the blooms were there the day before, but in a different form. In a bud that wasn't fully open. The right conditions of temperature and soil nutrients and warm sunlight gave the bud what it needed to become full!

February made sure we knew it was winter! But in just a few days, we'll set the clocks ahead, welcoming the slow return of warmth. Funny how time plays tricks on us; slow traffic feels endless, yet time with loved ones flies by. Kids can't wait for spring, while teens feel the slow itch of waiting for adulthood. Everybody's in a rush!