Treasures & Tidbits

To celebrate the 242nd birthday of the United States, we thought we'd have some of our contributors write a bit about what patriotism means to them.  Our Founders were definitely Iron Butterflies as they wrote and implemented the Declaration of Independence.  For the...

by Kathy Strain I suppose I have been feeling a little nostalgic lately so I have been thinking more about my youth and childhood. I grew up in the east where the summers were humid and the air conditioners were scarce (the parents always had one in their rooms, but...

by Verlie Edwards I’ve always lived in landlocked parts of Texas, but that hasn’t kept me from loving the beach with its sand, tropical fish and crashing waves. The beach is the only place where I relax and completely unwind. Whether traveling to the Texas Gulf Coast...

by Verlie Edwards During the fall of 1979 while working at the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association, I had a unique opportunity to take 40-plus osteopathic physicians and spouses on a continuing education trip to Russia. We traveled from Dallas/Fort Worth to Moscow...

By Verlie Edwards I’m often anxious about meeting new people. Will they like me? Will I like them? What are we going to talk about? I recently had these questions while visiting longtime friends who had another friend staying with them at the same time. My fears were...

It’s a Gusher! By Verlie Edwards Have you ever experienced something that stuck in your mind forever? I bet the answer is a big YES! I know that’s how it is for me. I don’t remember how old I was, maybe between 6- and 8-years-old when I witnessed something few have...

By Shelley Anne Friend Lagniappe (pronounced LAHNYAP) means giving a little something extra. In business, it is sometimes "a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase.” For example, when you order a dozen baked goods and the baker gives you...

Spring begins Another year as life supposes Where seeds emerge from depth and shallow Breaking open to come alive The nurtured ones surely crest the soils embrace Taking happy breathes as life renews its pace For you and for me new creatures sure as we Continue to...

By Kathy Strain This weekend was special for our son Kenneth because he proposed to his sweetheart, McKenna, the love of his life.  He lives in Idaho and is attending college there. While we’re all missing him here in Texas, I’m still glad he went to Idaho. He loves...

We are starting a periodic feature called #butterflykisses that recognizes someone who is making a difference in the lives of others. April 2, 2018 Our first #butterflykisses goes to Caitie Whelan's Lightning Notes. The purpose is to "help us move the world forward....

SXSW is more than entertainment  By Kathy Strain Austin, Texas is still in the recovery mode from the annual South By Southwest (SXSW) invasion. People came from all over the world to enjoy music, movies, technology, and gaming. I was one of the estimated 300,000...

Have you ever heard of the term "autotelic?"  Basically, it means "self goal."  Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi uses it to describe people who are driven by their sense of purpose in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. We believe Iron Butterflies Project...

When I was young, my (Shelley's) father was a big advocate for early voting.  He helped people get their absentee ballots if they were sick, frail or didn't have transportation to the polling places in our county.  And, he worked hard to push to change the state law...

by Verlie Edwards It’s never easy to let someone we love, respect and admire move from our earthly home to our heavenly home, but our faith prepares us for that day. Today I had the honor to sit with a dear friend as he took the final walk to his Heavenly Home. As I...

Butterfly Logo Story By Shelley Anne Friend Mother's Day weekend is my favorite holiday of the year. Over the past few years we have left for a week-long business trip on Mother's Day. So, I've celebrated with my daughters the Saturday before Mother's Day.  It's...

  Laura Regan was born in Canada in 1950, and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area from the age of three. By Kindergarten she knew she wanted to be an artist. While working on a self-portrait in crayon, she added ruby slippers onto her feet, transforming...

By Kathy Strain If I ever doubt that our “Iron Butterflies Project” isn’t important, I am reminded of its importance as I see the beautiful butterflies all around. I was working on editing some videos for the website and I had forgotten how to do it. I had learned at...