Thrive Clues

https://thriveclues.com/grief-healing-trusting-playing-on-moving-forward/ Blog 213 highlights four steps I've been grappling with on my journey through grief, moving forward by recently identifying the importance of play.

Grieving. Healing. Trusting. Playing. On Moving Forward - Thriveclues This morning I looked at the four partly-read books on my desk: “Going Home: Finding Peace when Pets Die” by Jon Katz. “How to Heal Your Metabolism,” by Kate Deering.”Learning to Trust Yourself” by Tama Kieves, my spiritual coach. And “Cody Harmon, King of Pets,” a fun, easy middle-g...

https://thriveclues.com/process-not-perfection-posting-from-the-muddy-middle/ From adventures to Union Bay, Pratt Lake, Snoqualmie Lake, and Park Butte, I ponder sitting in the muddy middle of uncertainty as wildfires cause pivots and I seek the right mix of challenge, connection, and novelty for my birthday and anniversary adventure at the end of the month. Blog 212 on pivoting is live.

Process, not Perfection: Posting from the Muddy Middle - Thriveclues What does it mean to pivot when plans fall apart? Reflections on resilience, choosing again, and embracing uncertainty in the muddy middle.

This week's post, I reflect on lessons from a week of dog care, 3 hikes, nutrition adjustments, and continued evolution and learning. Blog 211 is live at

Autonomy Over Should - Thriveclues Some days leave me energized. Others leave me completely drained. And a few, like yesterday, do both. For a long time, I thought the difference was how much I had to do. I’m beginning to think it’s something else completely. The Day Everything Felt Like Events Were Chosen for Me We recently acce...

Blog 209 took an unexpected turn this morning when I backed up my earlier blog posts from 2021-2025. Lessons learned are at https://thriveclues.com/preserving-more-than-a-blog/ One more step forward, Angel Ajax by my side.

Preserving More Than a Blog - Thriveclues Closing a website doesn't mean losing its story. Reflections on preserving years of writing, memories, and the legacy they leave behind.

Blog 208 captures the essence of a whirlwind week of graduation celebration with our daughter. It also shares the importance of taking a reflection pause before diving into the next chapter. Live at

The Power of a Reflection Day - Thriveclues Major life transitions can leave us asking, "What's next?" Discover why taking a Reflection Day may be the first step toward moving forward.

Grief as an Exquisite Teacher: Blog 207 is live with lessons from the past two weeks as I grow into life without my best canine companion.

Grief as an Exquisite Teacher - Thriveclues On the hike back from Island and Rainbow Lakes on Tuesday, I chatted with a fellow writer. She told me she thought grief was an “exquisite” emotion. Like Brene Brown, I see it as “excruciating.” When I asked her to elaborate, she said she’d learned so much about herself since her father di...

https://thriveclues.com/the-courage-to-keep-going/ What Courtenay's recent backpacking trip taught her about placing one foot in front of the other. Blog 206, her first since losing her precious dog, Ajax, is live.

The Courage to Keep Going - Thriveclues Fifteen days after losing her dog Ajax, I completed my first overnight Mountaineers backpack trip to discover grief and strength can coexist.

In blog 205, I return where I started 5 years ago with a poem, Waves, and a reflection of this final week with our loving puppa. Good-bye sweet Ajax.

What a Week of Grace Taught Me - Thriveclues A tribute to my 11-year-old dog Ajax who has been my teacher, trail companion, steward, and loyal family member. Go with grace, my puppa.

This week has provided plenty of fodder for Blog 204: Two seminars, a 12-mile hike to Pratt Lake, and an injured dog. Courtenay Schurman reveals how to take charge from an out-of-control inner critic. Blog 204 is live at

Lessons from Ajax, Pratt Lake, and Gooky - Thriveclues Lessons from Ajax, Pratt Lake, and Gooky offer clues for quieting self-doubt, trusting your medicine, and thriving, not merely surviving.

One of the hardest blog posts I've had to write: 202 is live. Limbo is not a fun place to be, but I'm hoping for the best.

When Plans Have to Change - Thriveclues A week of plans shifts unexpectedly when my dog Ajax is injured, offering a reminder about slowing down, waiting, and being present.