Family averages across everyone sharing their activity — no individual numbers, just how we're doing together.
There is no place like home and no other people in the world like family.— The Thomas Tribune, 1996
For longer notes, news, or thoughts, send it straight to everyone's inbox.
Fitness
Donna's old "Health Watch" column, made daily. Keep the family moving, nudge anyone who's gone quiet, take care of the money side too — and get a laugh in, because that counts as medicine around here.
Sample numbers for now — real steps sync from phones and watches in roadmap step 4.
See someone who hasn't moved much lately? Send a little encouragement their way.
- Move most days — a walk counts, and it all adds up.
- Aim for a steady sleep schedule; going to bed and waking around the same time helps more than any one long night.
- Drink water through the day.
- Keep your annual checkup, and know your blood pressure numbers.
- Take the stairs, park farther out, stand up every hour.
- Don't skip the dentist and the eye doctor — they catch more than teeth and glasses.
- Talk to someone when things feel heavy. Mental health is health.
General wellness reminders, not medical advice — your doctor knows your situation.
Money stress is health stress — so it lives here, right alongside sleep and movement.
- Pay yourself first — set aside a little the day you get paid, before anything else.
- Build a small emergency cushion before anything fancy.
- Pay off the highest-interest debt first; credit card interest outruns almost any return.
- If your job offers a retirement match, take all of it — it's free money.
- Check your credit report yearly (it's free at annualcreditreport.com).
- Talk about money out loud in the family. Silence is what makes it stressful.
General information shared between family — not professional financial advice.
- Get outside — even ten minutes of daylight and fresh air resets things.
- Move your body. A walk clears more than a screen ever will.
- Slow your breathing: in through the nose, longer out than in.
- Protect your sleep — most stress feels bigger on a short night.
- Write down what's on your mind so it stops circling.
- Cut back on caffeine after lunch, and don't lean on alcohol to unwind.
- Say no to one thing you don't have room for.
- Call someone who loves you. Connection is the oldest remedy we have.
If stress or worry is weighing on you steadily, that's worth telling a doctor about — no shame in it.
Got a good one of your own? That's a fine excuse to pick up the phone and call somebody — a joke lands better in your voice than in writing.
Food
The family's holiday favorites, straight from Volume Two — with room for everyone to add their own, and the story behind each dish.
Donna tucked a "Living Heart" recipe into the very first issue — here's that spirit, carried on.
- Bake, broil, or grill instead of frying whenever you can.
- Reach for olive or canola oil in place of butter in everyday cooking.
- Fill half the plate with vegetables and greens.
- Season with herbs, lemon, and garlic before reaching for the salt.
- Water first — save the sweet drinks for special occasions.
- Enjoy the holiday favorites above too — balance, not banishment.
Faith & Values
The heart of Donna's newsletter — her "Prayer for the Month," now a word whenever you need one, and a wall to lift each other up.
A family that prays together, stays together.— Donna M. Thomas
A moment of quiet — for prayer, meditation, or just a deep breath.
Caring for the spirit is care for the whole person — rest, quiet, and being tended to all count.
- Keep a sabbath — one stretch each week that belongs to rest, not errands.
- Give your body kindness: a massage, a long bath, a real stretch.
- Sit in silence for a few minutes before the day starts talking at you.
- Keep a gratitude list. Three lines is enough.
- Worship or gather with others — faith is easier held together than alone.
- Get out in nature; it puts things back in proportion.
- Read something older than you — scripture, a hymn, a psalm.
- Forgive somebody, even quietly. Carrying it costs you more than them.
- Serve someone. It reliably lifts the server too.
Our Roots
The family tree, the archive of Donna's newsletters, and the loved ones we carry with us.
This is just a beginning — add names, photos, and the stories behind them so the whole tree grows over time.
September 10, 1996Open → The Thomas Tribune · Volume One
September 1996Open → The Thomas Tribune · Volume Two
November 1996Open → The Thomas Tribune · Volume Three
January / February 1997Open →
Links open the digitized PDFs when this page is hosted alongside them.
Added entries are reviewed by the family administrator, so names and dates can be corrected gently if anything's off.
Excel
Where the family reaches higher: our degrees tallied, Donna's "Reading Corner" reborn as a book club, our students celebrated, and a directory of who knows what — so knowledge stays in the family.
Every degree the family has earned — a running tally to celebrate how far we've come, and to inspire the next one.