This has been a 'working holiday' for me; I've been packing boxes and moving them to my new home in preparation for the big move on Monday. On Thanksgiving Day, I enjoyed a few hours of resting and eating with family and then left for my "date with a Doctor," as I told my sister-in-law, … Continue reading New Gratitudes
#family
Same Time Next Year
Last Thursday I was honored, once again, to spend the better part of a cold autumn day with my cousin, Danny. I always wanted an older brother, and he's the closest to one I've known. Growing up, I didn't know him well because he's eleven years older than me. But since we started the tradition … Continue reading Same Time Next Year
In Our Daughters’ Footsteps: Mission Completed
We've anticipated this trip since August of 2019-- when Kim asked me to join her in bringing her mother's ashes to Skye. At that time, I said I was honored that she'd asked me, but inwardly, I wasn't sure how it would work for me to travel with her at the planned time--one year later, … Continue reading In Our Daughters’ Footsteps: Mission Completed
Saturday in Edinburgh
It was a clear, no-cloud-in-the-sky day in Edinburgh, with an expectant chill in the air like a late fall football Saturday in North Carolina. "Unusual for a day in Scotland," said our waitress . After a long night's sleep, my cousin, Kim and I sat down to a breakfast of scrambled cheese eggs, haggis, Scottish … Continue reading Saturday in Edinburgh
The Things That Hold Us Back: Solo Journeys
The countdown continues to September 8th when I take off on my trip to Scotland and Ireland with my cousin. I made progress this week on my to-do and packing list. There's enough time to get everything done now that I'm retired--unlike previous journeys where I was still working. It would seem that if you … Continue reading The Things That Hold Us Back: Solo Journeys
In Our Mothers’ Footsteps
It's less than three weeks now until my cousin, Kim and I will take off on our trip. The journey will bring us closer together just as our mothers were close. Her mother, Yvonne and mine, Mary were first cousins and best friends. Kim Casto McCaskill and Connie Rosser Riddle August 2022 Back around the … Continue reading In Our Mothers’ Footsteps
Back Home on the Farm
The one time of year I miss being a child the most is summer. I have a deep yearning to be back there on our farm, feeling the dirt under my bare feet, watching a sudden shower from the cover of our front porch, playing until the dark's only light is dancing fire flies. I … Continue reading Back Home on the Farm
Happy 99th Birthday, Mama!
Today would have been Mama's 99th birthday. She died in April of 2020 in the midst of the pandemic--not from Covid but from a natural end-of-life after years of decline from dementia. Our family was lucky that the disease did not impact her personality as it does with many; she remained a gentle and kind … Continue reading Happy 99th Birthday, Mama!
June 22cnd: On That Day in History
Since I was a young girl, I've loved the number 22; that's because my birthday is March 22cnd; I liked the way the numbers looked and that I had a pair of twos. Another favorite number was 5; that's because my birth year was 1955. As with the twos, I liked the shape of fives … Continue reading June 22cnd: On That Day in History
Forgiving Our Fathers: Forgiving Ourselves
Today we celebrate fathers. It's a day of remembering for those of us who have lost them. For my son, Brooks, who's the daddy of my grandsons, Baker and Parks, it's feeling the love and the huge responsibility for his exuberant two and four-year-olds. With this day of national honoring of these men, comes mixed … Continue reading Forgiving Our Fathers: Forgiving Ourselves
