Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Last week, our country entered an unprecedented phase as we hunkered down to halt the spread of a global pandemic called Coronavirus. Canceled events, conferences, and gatherings; shuttered schools and churches; closed businesses and restaurants, measures taken to implement social distancing and lessen the spread of the virus. Along with these efforts, other reactions came […]
Coronavirus. A plummeting stock market. Political bickering and banter. Wars and rumors of wars. If you look at the headlines, fear could easily wrap its tendrils around you, squeezing you into nonstop panic mode. Fear overtakes thoughts and overwhelms life, if you allow it to, but you don’t have to succumb to fear. Following are […]
The new year is like a blank canvas awaiting first brush strokes. You have options about how to fill that canvas—the preparation, colors, shading, and picture type. Will you choose a self-portrait with clarity and depth, or one that is a jumble of Picasso-esque forms? To gain perspective, glance back at last year’s portrait. Are […]
Do you remember where you were September 11, 2001? I was enjoying a cool fall morning on our deck, drinking a cup of hot tea, and working on an article. We live somewhat near the airport and occasionally hear air traffic, but that morning I suddenly became aware of a dramatic increase in activity overhead. […]
Have you ever experienced that odd sensation of moving when you are actually totally still? This sensation occurs when you have just pulled into a parking space while the person beside you is backing out. For a few seconds, you lose perspective, and although you have stopped, the movement of the person beside you makes […]
January provides the opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to begin again, to make forward motion with plans and accomplish goals. But often those plans fall by the wayside with the first obstacle and goals are put aside when the hurdles are higher than expected or life intervenes. Sometimes the hurdles that halt forward […]
Years ago, not long after we moved to our current home, a visitor asked to see upstairs. We were still unpacking, so I hesitantly agreed to her request. She preceded me up the stairs, and as she reached the top, took a few steps, and then abruptly jerked open the linen closet door. I was […]
I grew up in a house my father built in 1951. Later he built an addition and remodeled other areas of the house. After my mother’s death, we did an major renovation, addressing some long-deferred maintenance. When we removed the kitchen cabinets, we discovered a water leak that wasn’t apparent. Years of undetected seepage had […]