This week I finished watching season three of Virgin River. The show drew me as much with its location as the romantic story line. While the fictional town of Virgin River is supposed to be in Northern California, many of the scenes are filmed in British Columbia, Canada. Jack's Bar is on the Sqamish River-- … Continue reading Broaden My Path
New Beginnings: Flying Lessons
Several weeks ago, I wrote about the New Beginnings phase of life when you're transitioning into your new world-- whatever change you've gone through. Referring to Bill Bridges Map of Change, we looked back at going from Endings and traveling through The Gap and then climbing up on the bank of the other side of … Continue reading New Beginnings: Flying Lessons
Damaged Goods: Online Dating
It was a dark night last winter when I was tossing and turning and woke from my fitful sleep at four in the morning. I had been discouraged the day before after months of isolation from the pandemic and going through divorce. It was one of those times when you have a hard time seeing … Continue reading Damaged Goods: Online Dating
I’ll Stand With the Poor
Last Friday would have been Mama's ninety-eighth birthday and I was remembering two years ago when we had our final celebration with her. It had gotten harder over the preceding years because she seemed barely aware that we were having a birthday celebration; dementia had changed her so much. But at the last celebration she … Continue reading I’ll Stand With the Poor
Free to Inhabit a New World: Beginnings
Another Fourth of July holiday, another half-year gone and with the time-fog of the past year it's like what a woman said when she rang up my purchases yesterday: "The year of the pandemic seemed like ten years and this year has felt like one week." I understood that sense of distorted time and have … Continue reading Free to Inhabit a New World: Beginnings
Bring Me Your Warts: Online Dating
John texted me on Thursday evening and said he'd be coming to Raleigh on Friday to take his daughter to dinner. Could I meet him before that? We'd already talked about a convenient restaurant where we could have drinks and meet for the first time. There'd been two phone conversations and I wanted to meet … Continue reading Bring Me Your Warts: Online Dating
21st Cancerversary: Live Your Best Life
On Tuesday, I'll reach the twenty-first anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis. You don't forget that day--no matter how many years it's been. The doctor told me those most-feared words, "I think it's cancer" at around one- thirty, during my lunch hour when I'd had my mammogram. Later, I was diagnosed with the Triple-Negative type … Continue reading 21st Cancerversary: Live Your Best Life
Bittersweet Change: Time to Stretch and Grow
There are times when change is inevitable but hard to accept. We settle into the comfort of the familiar forgetting that life is not stagnant. When our children are young, about the time we know how to handle a phase, they move into the next and put us at another loss, scratching our heads and … Continue reading Bittersweet Change: Time to Stretch and Grow
Right To Be Wrong: Online Dating
For over a week, I've had conversations and text messages with a new guy on one of my dating sites-- OurTime. I was initially impressed that he didn't want to send the slow back-and-forth messages that seem to be the way for most of the men. Instead, Steve wanted to talk on the phone 'the … Continue reading Right To Be Wrong: Online Dating
Till We Meet Again
In 1973, when I was eighteen, I headed off for college with two of my best friends from my hometown-- Donna and Pam. We had not done the exhaustive search for a college that students do now. Donna wanted to be an art teacher and she learned from Mrs. Babb, the art teacher at our … Continue reading Till We Meet Again