It's Valentine's Day and I've returned to the love letters that were left by my parents. Last year I'd discovered their treasure trove of correspondence during the late forties when they were 'courting.' Mama was twenty-six and Daddy turned thirty on their wedding day-- February 26, 1950. I pulled out the box filled with their … Continue reading Emotional Openness: What They Had
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Soundtracks of Our Lives
When I was a girl, we had a red and white record player. I remember having just a few 45s and albums. With the albums, I'd play my favorite songs over and over, picking up the needle and counting over to the beginning groove of that selection. My family sometimes complained about hearing the same … Continue reading Soundtracks of Our Lives
Going Home for Christmas
We're finishing out the Christmas holiday. I'm struck by how our lean celebration has left me with distinct memories and a restful feeling that I've never had after Christmas. In past years, our family typically had three days of celebration: Christmas Eve with our immediate and church families, Christmas Day with our immediate and Riddle … Continue reading Going Home for Christmas
Through a Child’s Eyes
I'm a fortunate grandmother; my two grandsons live nearby and I see them regularly, even during this year of COVID. The younger one, David Parks is almost 6 months old and is a beautiful baby with a smile that could warm the coldest heart. He studies your face as you hold him close and his … Continue reading Through a Child’s Eyes
When It’s Over
Yesterday our divorce went to the Orange County court. A judge was sitting in a courtroom and going through all the cases that would have been handled in person by lawyers-- were it not this unusual pandemic year. I imagined the judge in a dimly lit, drafty room, sitting and reading the facts on each … Continue reading When It’s Over
Harvest Walk
Everywhere we look, there are scenes of fall, harvest tableaus with bales of hay, pumpkins, and shocks of corn. It reminds us in our modern day of our agricultural roots and how farmers gather their crops before frost and either store or sell them. I think of the past year since the last harvest season … Continue reading Harvest Walk
A Time to Heal
We've all been through a grueling week of waiting for election results while hearing the results of the COVID-19 surge. For each of us, these happenings in our nation are added onto our personal daily challenges. Our family had to deal with my son being exposed to COVID and then I developed a fever, and … Continue reading A Time to Heal
Missing the Fall Fairs
If this were a usual year, it would be the opening weekend of the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh; but the pandemic has taken yet another enjoyment away that we have taken for granted. That event has been part of our state's history since it opened in 1853. Back when most people were from … Continue reading Missing the Fall Fairs
Out of Sorts: Restoring Balance to Our Lives
One of the blessings that's come out of the pandemic is that I have more leisurely phone conversations with family and friends. I refer to them as 'phone visits' because they're more than brief calls with the assumption you'll talk later in person; you share that space like you're sitting down to a delicious meal. … Continue reading Out of Sorts: Restoring Balance to Our Lives
Life in Pictures: Looking Back while Moving Forward
This week I reached the final phase of cleaning out the clutter from my life: tackling boxes of photographs. When we first started out as a family, I kept our photos organized in albums. But soon that became impossible for me with raising kids and working-- so the pictures went into boxes. Over the years … Continue reading Life in Pictures: Looking Back while Moving Forward
