Yesterday, I met my cousin Kim for ice cream and a delicious conversation about our upcoming trip to Scotland in September. Now that it's mid-May, it feels more real that this is finally going to happen. Like many others with travel plans, we were supposed to go in 2020-- before Covid changed everything. Our mission … Continue reading September in Scotland: A Dream to Fulfill
Family Reunion: A Gathering of Loyalty and Love
Yesterday we had our Smith Family Reunion, Mama's family that had eight children and twenty grandchildren. We were lucky that all but one of the eight-- three daughters and five sons, lived in North Carolina and we saw them regularly when we were growing up. I have fond memories of Grandma Smith's farm house bulging … Continue reading Family Reunion: A Gathering of Loyalty and Love
The Gift of Gab
This week I've been thinking about Mama. She passed away two years ago on April 30th after gracing this world for ninety-six years. People knew her for her kindness, her warmth and generosity, her adventurous spirit. They also knew her for her 'gift of gab' her Scotch-Irish roots that showed in her red hair and … Continue reading The Gift of Gab
What do I need now?
Lately I've been thinking a lot about how to navigate this chapter of my life. As I mentioned in my post, Really Retired, I've finally ended my career as a nurse. Last week, I let go of taking care of my grandson two days a week which I've been doing for over three years. As … Continue reading What do I need now?
The One Who Will Never Leave
On this Easter weekend, I've been in a thoughtful mood, considering what it means to be present with someone during their darkest hour. In my Christian faith, that brings me to the heart of a mother--specifically Mary, the mother of Jesus. On Good Friday, I thought of what it would be like to witness your … Continue reading The One Who Will Never Leave
Sweet Anticipation
Each morning when I arise, I get a cup of coffee--French Roast, black-- and head outside for a walk. This is the prayer that starts my day: "In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly." Psalm 5:3 NIV Photo by Jonathan Petersson on … Continue reading Sweet Anticipation
Calculated Risks: Online Dating
It's been over a year-and-a-half since I started down this online dating path. I'm more used to the course now and I look back over the distance I've traveled, a baby boomer on a different kind of sojourn. Considering my experiences, and those I've heard about from friends and family, the notion of calculated risk … Continue reading Calculated Risks: Online Dating
Happy 300th Post!
Hard to believe but this is my 300th post for this blog site that I launched May 31, 2017. I started this after attending the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers' Conference where I pitched my memoir to literary agents. The prevailing wisdom was authors needed a platform to build a following of readers who would … Continue reading Happy 300th Post!
Write Your Story
I started creating stories when I was in 6th grade; I was a playwright. My teacher, Miss Thomas encouraged me and even allowed my 'drama club' to perform those plays. Miss Thomas would have been fired if it were 2022; our class scores would have suffered on the end-of-grade testing that wouldn't include items on … Continue reading Write Your Story
Cultivating Our Lives: From Seeds to Harvest
Today, I talked with my younger son, Ross who's thirty-five. Over the past year, I've watched his growing interest in land and eco systems, specifically the history of types of indigenous trees and plants that grew on my childhood farm, purchased by my great-grandparents in the 1800s. For the first time, Ross has planted twenty … Continue reading Cultivating Our Lives: From Seeds to Harvest
Connie Rosser Riddle 