When I hear what has helped people to weather this pandemic, they often say "my pet." Last April when we were sheltering in place, I really missed my Golden Retriever, Madison who died in July of 2017. How I loved that dog and the way she stayed by my side. She was truly my little … Continue reading Creature Comfort
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Small Steps toward Big Results
I don't know what to write this week. Thinking about last week's post, have I made any break throughs? Did I work on my goals for the new year? How can a week go by so quickly? New Year's at Emerald Isle, January 2015 That's what I started with as I stared at the bare … Continue reading Small Steps toward Big Results
Season of Waiting
This time of year in the Christian calendar is Advent-- that period of expectant waiting for the arrival of the Christ child. Over the years, I can see families from the churches we attended, taking turns lighting the dark blue candle for that Sunday--often choosing one of their older children for the job. That single … Continue reading Season of Waiting
Same Time Next Year
Each year I hike with my cousin, Danny, aka "JD Smith" at Raven Rock State Park--sometime around Veteran's Day. Our tradition started ten years ago after Danny learned that I'd hiked on the Appalachian Trail. Yesterday we met there in COVID 19 gear and hiked about 3.5 miles down the Northington Ferry Trail to the … Continue reading Same Time Next Year
To See Her Face
Over the past few months, it's been harder to visit Mama. I don't know how I'll find her-- if she'll have that sweet smile we've come to expect, or if she'll be bent forward in her wheelchair, at times with a forlorn expression. It's difficult to see her that way and you don't know what … Continue reading To See Her Face
Bare Trees: A Season of Rest
My favorite thing about winter is the silhouetted beauty of bare trees against the light of dawn. I love the shapes of the branches and how they reach heavenward as well as the negative space between the limbs-- forming sky-colored puzzle pieces of emptiness. The quietness of the season comes as such a relief from … Continue reading Bare Trees: A Season of Rest
Summertime Moments
This has been a quiet week in my neighborhood. Families must be gone, celebrating the Fourth at the beach, or a lake, or maybe somewhere far away. It continues to feel like a season of waiting, as I wrote about in my post two weeks ago Season of Waiting. I have no travel plans, no … Continue reading Summertime Moments
Encouraging the Artist Within
Recently, I pulled a book from my shelf that I haven't read in many years: The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron. I purchased it at my first writers' conference in the early nineties and used it to help me delve into the art that had been pushed down deep inside. Looking … Continue reading Encouraging the Artist Within
Season of Waiting
Tonight, on this first night of summer, I write this post while sitting in a wicker chair on my front porch. I listen to the sound of water trickling down the ribbed sides of our pottery fountain. Birds are flitting back and forth in the early evening light. Parents pass with school-age children riding bikes … Continue reading Season of Waiting
Dolphin Morning: Animals in Our Path
This first full day of my Outer Banks journey, I headed to the Manteo waterfront for an 8:30 a.m. Dolphin Cruise with Captain Johnny. My sister, Peggy gave it to me for my birthday back in March. She turned sixty the same month and likes gifts that offer the recipient a memorable experience; get out … Continue reading Dolphin Morning: Animals in Our Path
