At Christmas, one of the things I gave each grandson was an "event with Grammy." This followed from asking my son, Brooks for suggestions on what to buy his boys. Brooks responded, "Give them a special time one-on-one with you." There are days during the year that I have time with each one alone--when they're … Continue reading The Gift of Time: Precious Moments with a Child
2024: The Year of Finding Your Tribe
This year I've decided to become part of two "tribes" or communities of people with common interests. While I've had individual interest in each area, it feels like being in a tribe is like having a broad network of interesting people who play different roles in each community. Four years ago, a guy I met … Continue reading 2024: The Year of Finding Your Tribe
Focusing on the Goal: Camino Bound
Last Friday, I stepped forward and made my deposit for the eighteen day, Portuguese Coastal Camino trip. I'll go with a group of ten with the company Prayerful Path https://prayerfulpath.com---headed up by Mary Maddox from the Atlanta area. It will be in August instead of June, as I originally posted. Looking at the calendar, I was … Continue reading Focusing on the Goal: Camino Bound
Underpromising: Accepting Each Day as It Comes
Last Monday I set down my goals, my intentions for the week. One of those was to continue my preparation for my Camino journey this summer. I wanted to increase my time of hiking from two to three hours. It seemed reasonable at the beginning of the week to do that twice---given the other things … Continue reading Underpromising: Accepting Each Day as It Comes
Finding the Beauty of Winter
Yesterday was what might be called a "miserable day" in our area of North Carolina; a gray, rainy, chilled-to-the-bone Saturday that could make you pull up the covers and stay in bed. Some areas of the country were blanketed in bright white snow, which while posing more road hazards and threatening electricity outages, can brighten … Continue reading Finding the Beauty of Winter
New Year’s Eve: Looking Back, Looking Forward
It's New Year's Eve, a time for looking back. When I see 2023 in Review, I ask myself these questions: What did I learn-- about myself, about others? What were my greatest challenges? What did I accomplish, and what didn't I accomplish that I'd set out to do? What were the greatest events in my … Continue reading New Year’s Eve: Looking Back, Looking Forward
Holiday Home: Christmas Past and Present
It's finally here, or already here, depending on your age and how you look at it; today is Christmas Eve. Whatever decorations we wanted to display, and presents we intended to purchase, are surely taken care of by now. Since I wasn't in the process of moving this year, I've had more time to decorate … Continue reading Holiday Home: Christmas Past and Present
Making Holiday Memories: Still a Family
Just a week until Christmas. The excitement was building last Friday night for my three-year-old grandson, Parks and five-year-old grandson, Baker in the midst of the Durham Bull's Baseball Stadium. That was where we went for our holiday outing to the Wool E's Winter Wonderland. The field was transformed by colorful flashing lights, a huge … Continue reading Making Holiday Memories: Still a Family
New Land of Discovery: The Gift of Nature
To walk, to wander about, is to open yourself up to discovery; often the new things you find are within--new ideas, new solutions to problems; sometimes there are discoveries of physical things, of places that delight, even in your own neighborhood. That was the gift I received last Tuesday. I woke up feeling blah, my … Continue reading New Land of Discovery: The Gift of Nature
Christmas Time: Loss and Longing
We've now entered Advent--- as it's called in the Christian Calendar, that time of waiting for the birth of the Messiah. And for others, who may not be steeped in the Christian tradition but celebrate the season, it's also a special time of memories and meaning. As much as popular and traditional songs celebrate this … Continue reading Christmas Time: Loss and Longing
Connie Rosser Riddle 