We possess a wonderful French door refrigerator with all the bells and whistles that we bought nearly two years ago. Just before we left for the trip to Portugal this year, we found that after just 15 months, it had stopped cooling. Because of the frugality of my husband, we did not buy the extended... Continue Reading →
What Peace We Often Forfeit!
As Shannon felt the heart-pounding, shaky breathing, and profuse sweating of a panic attack, she kept repeating, "You are not dying!" Her fear of being alone in a foreign country generated the anxiety. She couldn't seem to find the peace to sleep. She turned over in bed and saw the moon shining as it had... Continue Reading →
Letting Go of a Critical Spirit
For some reason that I could not define, this past Sunday I tended to find fault with everything that happened at church. It is ironic, as I was the one who did the cheerful welcome and read the scripture and prayed for the Communion service, as well as leading the church in partaking of the... 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 →
Renegade Elder Woman
Every time we go into a restaurant or an entertainment venue, Douglas ask a question that I absolutely wish to avoid, "Is there a senior discount?" I would rather pay the regular price and not be viewed as an elderly woman, for people start to treat you differently, as though you are right at death's... Continue Reading →
Grateful to be Home!
We are home, thankfully, a place where I do not feel the need to be reticent in what I think or say. I enjoyed being in California and visiting relatives and seeing lovely friends. I spent three days with a migraine, but Douglas' family tried to include me in as many activities as possible. The... Continue Reading →
The Sweetness of Music
If a song has a beat that I can move to, I can listen to it over and over again. I am a true music lover, for I like all kinds of music. As a little girl, I only heard R&B songs on black radio stations. I heard gospel music at church, and still today,... Continue Reading →
Mom, the World’s Greatest Spy!
I have loved novels and movies about spying for many years. Authors like Robert Ludlum, Tom CLancy, and John le Carre entertained me with thousands of hours of non-stop espionage. While some females in my generation wanted to be "Bond girls" and be romanced by James Bond, Agent 007, I dreamed of being Agent 007. What... Continue Reading →
Short Legs Don’t Need Extra Room
We are in California to visit with Douglas's 93-year-old mother and for him to attend his 50th high school reunion. As the unofficial secretary in this duo, I made the travel arrangements. I always, where possible, ask for an aisle seat, even when I traveled alone. My frequent-flyer program automatically assigns me the aisle seat... 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 →
