Today I'm remembering a solo journey I took back in 2009 to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My desire was to visit the place that had been significant for my mother. She and her cousin, Yvonne traveled there by train when they were both nineteen to prepare for work in WWII as civil servants. Throughout my childhood, Mama … Continue reading Celebrating a Life
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Hope and a Future
A new chapter in our lives began six years ago when Mama went to live at Parkview Retirement Village in Sanford, our hometown. That day when we three sisters took Mama and faced the reality that we could no longer keep her safely in her home, was one of the most difficult days of my … Continue reading Hope and a Future
Sit With Me for a While
That morning I headed out from the hostel on my bike, passing by the picnic table where Ruth was sitting in the sun. “Sit with me for a while, Connie,” Ruth said from her perch. I leaned the bike against the table and sat down. Ruth was eighty-three, a Canadian staying at the hostel while … Continue reading Sit With Me for a While
Tobacco Barn Morning
These mornings when I rise before six and walk, it reminds me of late July days as a child on our North Carolina farm. Mama would wake us when it was still dark to get ready and eat breakfast before we went to work in tobacco either on our farm or for one of our … Continue reading Tobacco Barn Morning
The Carousel of Time
We drive down the road on a sunny July afternoon, through the broad expanse of eastern North Carolina farmland on our way to the beach. This has been a yearly trek for most of our lives, from the time when we were children, to the years we carried our two sons when they were children, … Continue reading The Carousel of Time
Underpromising: Is that Settling?
A few years ago, I took a course with the Wisdom of the Whole Academy to be a Life Coach. I remember in the early part of the program, they were explaining some of the basic tenets of coaching. When it came to the client setting goals, the guidance was to ‘underpromise,' to pick the … Continue reading Underpromising: Is that Settling?
Sad Stories along the Road
Not all the stories of the people in my path are humorous or entertaining; there are some that are heavy, racked with pain that is real and truly part of our human experience. Over the last few days we’ve been alarmed and saddened by the tragic suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, and the … Continue reading Sad Stories along the Road
Happy 100th
This is the 100th post since I started my blog with WordPress almost a year ago. When I published the first entry on May 31, 2017, I wasn’t looking ahead at the hours of work involved when I made the commitment to posting twice a week. I had no clue how much effort it would take … Continue reading Happy 100th
Saying Goodbye to the Magnolia Tree
The highway department has made the decision they're going to widen Hwy 42, the road in front of Mama's house, from a two-lane to a divided four-lane. For years we've wondered when that would happen. Even when I was a girl and we lived in Daddy's homeplace that was built in 1880, we knew it … Continue reading Saying Goodbye to the Magnolia Tree
My Mother, My Teacher
My mother has been a great teacher over the years. Some of her lessons were intentional, and some were unintentional. She was always big on safety, long before she went back to school in her mid-fifties to be a licensed practical nurse. We would hear cautions about waiting at least an hour after eating to … Continue reading My Mother, My Teacher
