Paris, France, May 2024 As a black woman raised in the South in Tennessee, I thought that I was an ordinary person, nothing special about me. I was told that I would probably live my whole life in the South, never going beyond the boundary of my hometown. I was also someone who loved books... Continue Reading →
As a little girl, my nickname was Baldy. It seems that as a toddler, I contracted some kind of head rash that meant cutting off all of my hair. So, Baldy became what people called me, from aunts and uncles to neighbors. I must have been in the third or fourth grade before I even... Continue Reading →
I was a teenager during the 1960s when the world was changing rapidly. I witnessed the Flower Power movement, protests against the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Gay and Lesbian Movement. I was a feminist before I had a name for it. As a girl who had to clean house after school,... Continue Reading →
Needless to say, I suffer many a night without ample sleep because I can't rest until I know the end of the story or the culprit. With bookshelves full of hardbacks and a Kindle with over a hundred books, I will be missing a lot of sleep. I have learned not to start a Daniel... Continue Reading →
One thing that bothers me is unsolicited opinions on my behavior. Social media is packed with it, and the ability to remain anonymous has increased the rate of unsolicited opinions given in such hateful and unloving ways to people they don't even know. I don't like it when people think they have the right to... Continue Reading →
Porto, Portugal Love may not get better with age, but having someone love you despite the wrinkles and physical complaints is the greatest joy. We come into the world alone, but our most ardent wish is to share this life with someone before we leave this world alone. In the last chapter, we walk slower,... Continue Reading →
His name was Lester, and he was a year ahead of me in school. I looked up his family's number in the White Pages (which tells you how long ago). I asked to speak to him, and when he answered, we talked for nearly an hour. Then he had to go to bed. He kept... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat’s the one luxury you can’t live without?View all responses My husband and I spend a few weeks in Europe every year, mainly because we have three grandchildren in Portugal. One of the differences I find disturbing in European bathrooms is the lack of a washcloth. There are hand towels and bath towels,... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat does "having it all" mean to you? Is it attainable?View all responses What is considered all for me may be different from how my husband defines all. For instance, we are traveling right now, and in Vienna and Budapest, I was content with two attractions a day with a day of rest... Continue Reading →
People were shocked that I would give up being childless and supposedly free to do anything I wanted to raise my late sister’s four children. However, making the sacrifices of time, money, and love was the best decision of my life. I was headed to an early grave, drinking beer and playing cards all day.... Continue Reading →
Help from Heaven 