Call me crazy, but I love to walk through graveyards and look at the headstones. My folks would do this while we were growing up. They would elaborate on what life may have been like during some of the centuries present in the graveyard. Whenever they were out driving around, if they came upon a cemetery, they would wander through. Some headstones are monumental, others are forgotten by most. There is a graveyard I like to stop and walk through […]
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“Mom. What are these tiny beads in the package of this muffin?” Eva asked. “Oh, those are freshness beads. Don’t worry about those; just eat the muffins. Daddy brought those back from Japan for you girls,” I commented.” “Eva, are you ok? She stared at me wide-eyed, then slowly said, “Charlotte and I ate the beads. We thought they were sprinkles!” A blank stare crossed my face with slow blinks added. BOOK THREE IN THE HOME SWEET HOME SERIES NOW […]
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The present brings value only in our tomorrows Unknown “Write your stories,” I heard whispered in my heart. “Lord, I have nothing dramatic nor adventurous to write about.” I heard it again, “Write your stories.” “But, Lord, What would I write about,” I countered. “Remind people where home is. Write your stories.” Vacuuming the floor could not have been the most spiritual moment to hear directions from the Lord. However, it is in those times He speaks the loudest to […]
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Seven years ago, I was expecting our first precious bundle. Romanticizing the experience and preparing for our perfectly pink little girl would not change the fact that, at present, I was sick as a dog. I don’t ever remember being so nauseous in my life. To top it off, it would not go away. Four months of feeling like the day needed to start with dry toast and saltine crackers was waning on my storybook celebration. My birthday was less […]
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Chance favors the prepared mind Louis Pasteur “Charlotte, it’s time to go take a nap.” Ok!” She exclaimed. She ran down the hall to her room, and I watched in amazement as she pointed to her lamp for me to turn off and scrambled over to the blinds, wanting me to close them. Then she turned on her fan and climbed, one leg at a time, in her rocker and grabbed a book and her pacifier. She patted the rocking […]
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If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. Benjamin Franklin “I have a going away present for you,” My friend told me during our move to Tennessee. I stopped by her house with my SUV loaded down. We would pull out for the last time in just a few hours. She took me out to the garage, where her saddle and bridle sat in pristine condition. She said, “I want you to have this.” I stuttered, “But I don’t […]
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Blessed is he who plants trees under whose shade he will never sit. Old Indian Proverb “Don’t win the world and lose your family,” My mother told my father as he was pastoring our church out on the plains of the Midwest. The pressures of providing for a family and shepherding the flock God entrusted to his care demanded the most from him. So, who would win? What do you do when a church member needs you, yet your girls […]
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Nothing is more personal than a handwritten card from a family member or friend. Opening the mailbox, I look for small envelopes with unique handwriting addressed on the outside. The bills, newspaper, and sales ads get lost while I look for the tiny gem just for me. They say I make the cut-off for the millennial generation. Still, I live in utter denial that I could be associated with many ideals attached to entitlement and handouts. Yet, I do admit […]
Continue ReadingEva: Mom. I need to tell you something.Me: Ok, tell me.Eva: Well, this morning, when Charlotte was brushing her teeth with me, she used the toilet to rinse off her toothbrush and then put it back in her mouth.Me:…..Eva: I tried to stop her! But it was too late.Me:….. I heard a scream coming from our bedroom. I left what I was doing and took off. What could have possibly gone wrong?! The girls love to bathe in our big […]
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We lived in the blank white spaces at the edge of the print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories. Margaret Atwood, The Handmaids Tale From a nutrient standpoint, no kid should start the day with a donut and a Coke. But, memorably speaking, every child should know what it is like to start their day with a donut and a Coke. That’s just what she did. “Girls wake up! If you hurry, we […]
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