Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
In my search for tomatoes that taste like the kind my father used to grow in the backyard, I discovered the ones that come closest are what the grocery store labels “cluster tomatoes,” the kind with the vine still attached. Sometimes, strange things, like cluster tomatoes, speak to me about life. As I unloaded groceries, […]
With the approach of the 4th of July, liberty, freedom, and independence are the watchwords uppermost in our minds. We enjoy many forms of freedom in America, yet often take those freedoms for granted. While we associate this July holiday with national independence, in a broader sense, freedom also includes personal liberty. Sometimes, we allow […]
We all like to sustain forward motion with our lives according to our plans, goals, and dreams, but there are times when we get a clear message to pause. Waiting for a nebulous, invisible, indefinite something is hard. You begin to distrust the pause message, and like a nervous horse at the starting gate, stomp […]
Growing up, I always dreaded piano recitals. No matter how much I practiced and how well I knew the music, nervousness and self-doubt always managed to take control. Sitting backstage, behind the curtains, staring at my fellow recitalists, waiting for my turn to walk out on stage, made my stomach twist with dread. Etched in […]
We celebrated Thanksgiving this week. I know, we’re about three weeks behind, or beyond, depending on how you look at it, but life threw us a curve ball Thanksgiving week, so our celebration just happened. We basked in joyful hours full of noise, good food, a few three-year-old meltdowns involving who got to sit where […]
Although, in many ways, it feels as if COVID-19 pushed the pause button on our world, other life challenges are happening. People are still dealing with other types of illnesses and are hospitalized or in need of surgery. Some are grieving deaths unrelated to COVID-19, and others are recovering from weather events that happened earlier […]
The holidays bring joyous festivities, hustle and bustle, and time with family, but for many, grief is also present. Some grieve the loss of loved ones. Others experience the nostalgia of childhood holiday memories or gatherings that no longer happen. Still others grieve ongoing relationship challenges or difficult memories of unpleasant holidays past. This year, […]
Several weeks ago, my cell phone fell out of my pocket and hit the side of a filing cabinet. When I picked it up, I saw a tiny chip at the edge of the screen. Everything seemed ok with the phone so I continued to use it, although I became aware of the need to […]