Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
For over a year, I’ve been consumed with the task of cleaning out various areas of my house. This house has been home for over 35 years, so you can imagine the accumulation of “things.” After a few intense months, I concluded the project was going to take much longer than expected. In addition to […]
Several weeks ago, I had the joy of spending a week at the beach with my children and grandchildren. I awoke each morning to the sounds of Jay grinding coffee beans, Griffith’s stage whisper, and snippets of singing and laughter. That week with my family was just what I needed to recharge, reset, and resume […]
I am at the stage of life where I enjoy a new level of personal freedom. No longer am I under the watchful eye of older family members. I am the matriarch of my little branch of the family tree. If I want to go on a trip, I don’t have to ask permission from […]
In the last few years, I’ve bought several mixed potted plants that include “Creeping Jenny.” That name is perfect for this vigorous, trailing, verdant plant. “Creeping Jenny” is the one plant in a mixed pot that survives to the next year. This plant has qualities that remind me of life seasons and life lessons. Following […]
In recent weeks, several situations that have been hanging in suspended motion have reached resolution. One of these, business-related, totally halted forward motion, sidelining me in limbo-land for almost a year. Another precipitated a total standstill because I simply didn’t know how to proceed. Now, with positive answers, that came not of my own volition, […]
Each year, with the approach of Father’s Day, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift of a good father. I was 34 when Daddy died, and that felt much too soon. There was still so much I wanted to learn from him. Daddy was wise and taught by example. Because my children were young, […]
Cheap and Great Several times, I’ve received flyers in my mailbox for a business that advertises itself as “cheap and great.” Every time I read those two descriptors, I chuckle, because they send a mixed message. Perhaps the business owner doesn’t realize the word “cheap” also means of inferior quality. The word “affordable” substituted for […]
Years ago, I hired a landscaper to redo several areas of the yard. However, the landscaper’s plan involved pulling up everything and starting with a clean palate. Included in the design was getting rid of three hydrangea bushes I purchased and planted the summer my mother was dying. I refused that plan. The landscaper didn’t […]
I am nearing the year and a half mark of widowhood. You’d think I’d have this grief thing figured out by now, but frequently, I get a jarring reminder that I’m still a toddler in this journey of loss. Nebulous Sadness One day last week, I texted my daughter and said, “I’m weepy today, for […]
As I watch raindrops slide down my window and drench the yard, my heart goes out to a family who bid farewell to a loved one this week. Funerals are never easy, but the dreariness of a rainy day adds another dimension. Maybe the sky is weeping over the loss of this one who loved […]