Late last spring, I planted two seed packets of Heavenly Blue Morning Glories. Years ago when I first saw that vine with trumpet-shaped blooms spilling over a mailbox. I stopped in my tracks, startled with an "Oh my!" at their azure-blue unlike any other flower. Soon after that, I found myself in the garden aisle … Continue reading When the Morning Glories Bloom
friendships
Follow Your Intuition: Florida Bound
This week, I'm remembering a trip I took three years ago that could be seen by some as reckless, and by others, brave. Aldo, a guy I met at a retreat at The Abbey in Iona, Scotland in 2017 was coming from the Netherlands to be a men's retreat leader in Sanford, Florida. We'd hit … Continue reading Follow Your Intuition: Florida Bound
A Twenty Dollar Chain Reaction
My friend, Delores has an empathetic heart; one way she expresses this is by sending her homemade cards. She delights in taking breaks to retreat to her "She Shed," her RV camper in the backyard, where she has her table set up with all her card-making materials. She also takes it upon herself to encourage … Continue reading A Twenty Dollar Chain Reaction
The Teachers in Our Path
Over the past few years, I've become a fan of watching Youtube videos by relationship coaches, motivational speakers, and spiritual/faith leaders. Last week, I listened to one by Dr. Wayne Dyer (5/10/40 - 8/29/15), "Everything Happens for a Reason." Dr. Dyer was a self-help author and a motivational speaker with degrees in psychology and counseling. … Continue reading The Teachers in Our Path
Remembering Ms. Pauline
Over the eight years that Mama lived at Parkview Retirement Village, I saw many of my high school classmates when they were visiting their mothers. One of them was my classmate-from-first-grade, Bragg Cox. That friendly guy with the blond hair and easy smile was attracted to another one in our first grade class, my friend, … Continue reading Remembering Ms. Pauline
Share Your Story: Cancer Survivor
This Sunday, June 22cnd, it'll be twenty-five years since I heard the words, "You have cancer." I'd gone for a routine mammogram during my lunch break; now, I think there's no such thing as a routine anything. On any given day, what was routine can become something extraordinary -- whether good or bad. I don't … Continue reading Share Your Story: Cancer Survivor
Valentines: Characteristics of a Lasting Love
Today is Valentine's Day and the time of year I go back to Mama and Daddy's letters to remind me of their special relationship. I love pulling out the box of letters and seeing their handwriting as they maintained their steady flow of communication in the late forties. It wasn't easy to pick up a … Continue reading Valentines: Characteristics of a Lasting Love
Bluebirds: Hope is the Thing with Feathers
This week the meteorologist on our local network announced that we're "halfway through winter." I found that both surprising and encouraging; winter has never been my favorite season and the sight outside my kitchen window is making me anxious for spring. Each morning when I got my cup of coffee, there was a male bluebird … Continue reading Bluebirds: Hope is the Thing with Feathers
Struggling During the Holidays: Hope for Depression
Last Sunday was the first in the Advent season of the Christian Calendar, a time of waiting for the birth of the Messiah--the incarnate God who would walk this Earthly journey. People of other faiths have their own traditions that are special at this or other times of year. When we're in these seasons of … Continue reading Struggling During the Holidays: Hope for Depression
Steinbeck and Southern Accents
I've taken many solo journeys over the years; most of my travel has been in the US, and some has been in Canada and Europe. When I leave North Carolina, my homeland in the South, I've become aware that sometimes my accent isn't easy for others to understand. Once I went home to Ohio with … Continue reading Steinbeck and Southern Accents
Connie Rosser Riddle 