Mickey is so excited, as he prepares for his big date with Leslie at the Half-Note Lounge in New York City. He is such a jazz aficionado, and he heard that the orchestra performing tonight is the best in the world! They have a reputation for getting down to the maximum! He cannot wait! He... Continue Reading →
Should We Be Leery of Shortcuts?
We went to a local park for our walk today, and it seemed that most of our city was there celebrating the last long weekend of the summer. Douglas found a parking spot away from the trail parking, which meant walking across wet grass. I decided that walking across wet grass was just too uncomfortable,... Continue Reading →
Rumors Are Truly Fake News
Today, it is hard to tell what is real and what is just made up in the news. Rumors are so prevalent in American news organizations today that one doesn't know if what is written or reported is true or just someone's way of manipulating the truth or distracting from bad press reports. I cannot... Continue Reading →
I Felt Like Having Church in the Forest
We went walking in the nature preserve near Douglas' childhood home. We took the "easy" route, which is harder than anything we hike on here at home. It is called Lake Chabot, and it is about 8 miles of paved roads through a wooded area, surrounded by a man-made lake, complete with a dam. There... Continue Reading →
Respect Don’t Cost Us Anything
I am stunned by the death of Aretha Franklin. Reading all the accolades and tributes reminds me of the power of language, and that one word can become powerful in a culture, embodying our values and beliefs. One such word for me is RESPECT. I am sure that the concept existed long before Aretha made... Continue Reading →
Overcoming the Violence of Hate
In 1997, I visited Europe for the first time, as part of a guided tour that covered eight countries in thirteen days. One place we visited was the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. I had never seen a concentration camp before. It was so painful to see and learn of the atrocities perpetrated there, to... Continue Reading →
A Man, Not Just a Guy in a Pair of Pants!
Recently, I was reminded of a remark that my best friend's father made one day when we were swooning over some guy. Mr. Bubba said,"There's a difference between a real man and a guy in a pair of pants!" Of course, being two teenage girls, we laughed at him and never missed a beat in... Continue Reading →
Timing is Everything!
I was serenely preaching on Wednesday night for the First Wednesday program at church. I believed from the number of pages of my sermon that I would speak for 30-35 minutes. But when I looked out and Douglas appeared to have a borborygmus tummy, I wondered what was wrong with him, but I kept preaching.... Continue Reading →
Home Can Be Wherever I Am
Two months ago, I could not wait to get "home." I was ready for the comfort of my house and views from my windows. As the plane landed in Nashville, I nearly bowed down and kissed the ground, so glad to be back in those old familiar places. It had been lovely in Portugal, but... Continue Reading →
Lullabies and Nightmares
As I looked at the prompts for today, the word, lullaby, jumped out at me, for no one ever sang me to sleep with a lullaby. I did not even know any lullabies until I was an adult. Someone told me about Rock-a-Bye Baby as a means to get my infant to sleep. But, when... Continue Reading →
