Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
The word “hijack” conjures images of masked gunmen taking over a plane, or other forms of transportation, making demands, and creating fear and panic. While this is the standard picture, on a more personal level, many things conspire to hijack our thoughts and lives, sending us off course, and creating chaos. Your captors may differ […]
Early on a bright, calm Sunday morning, the mirror on my dresser began to vibrate. The vibration intensified, coupled with rocking noise, as the mirror visibly flapped in its holders. The pulls on other furniture jangled as items danced across the top. Were my eyes and ears accurate, or was I having some sort of […]
As I sat on our deck early one morning, I experienced peace for the first time in many weeks. A gentle breeze rustled the trees. Alternating cicada chatter and birdsong filled the air. Dappled sunlight painted patterns on the lawn and puffy white clouds floated by in a bright azure sky. For those moments, to-do […]
The last few weeks have been fraught with frustration. Actually, this year has been fueled by one frustration after another. Delays, miscommunications, waiting, too much to juggle at once, and nonexistent customer service top my frustration list. How about you? What are your greatest sources of frustration? In thinking through some of the challenges of […]
At times, processing items from my childhood home has been like falling into a time machine and stepping out decades ago. Finding tiny plastic dishes and pots spun me back to a time when I was a preschooler and Daddy would come home for lunch and visit me in the playhouse he built for me. […]
During these days of working outside in 90+ degree temperatures, I have experienced extreme exhaustion, the kind of fatigue that sitting for a while doesn’t relieve. Only re-hydrating refreshes, renews, and reignites. Today, when everything is different, uncertain, turbulent, and confusing, there are times when I feel parched mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Following are insights, […]
In recent weeks, I’ve been cleaning out the storage room and a few other areas in my childhood home. The task has been physically taxing and emotionally draining. The initial clean out happened almost ten years ago following my mother’s death, but there were some things that fell into the categories of “don’t know what […]
Years ago, the trademark symbol of one of the television networks was a stylized peacock with vivid multi-colored tail feathers. The words “brought to you in living color,” along with the peacock, preceded programing. Perhaps the trademark originated when television transitioned from black and white to color. Regardless, it was a vivid visual image that […]
Each year, when the third week in June rolls around, I can’t help but think of my Daddy. Even though he died almost 30 years ago, I still miss him. I miss his strong hugs with a jiggly squeeze at the end. I miss his gentle voice, his humor, and his wisdom. My father was […]
In these turbulent days, calmness and peace are hard to find. Demonstrations, marches, violence, fear, and turmoil flood our cities, and mainstream and social media. Coming on the heels of COVID-19 quarantine, one has to wonder if all the emotion stems from fear, frustration, and confinement rather than backlash over injustice. We all experience times […]