There have been moments this week when I've felt overwhelmed, vulnerable. Mostly those times come when I'm tired, spent from doing too much or not sleeping well. While I make an effort to look at life from a positive point of view, when I'm tired, that all falls apart. That was the case last Tuesday … Continue reading Encourage One Another
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
Solo Journey: You Can’t Rush a Turtle
This week two of my friends posted photos of box turtles on their Facebook pages. It reminded me of a time in June 2006 when we'd had lots of rain and flash flooding. One evening when I walked down the half-mile road through my neighborhood, I had to step closely to avoid the rivulets of … Continue reading Solo Journey: You Can’t Rush a Turtle
Solo Journey: Walking Lavender Fields
When I was in my forties, I took my first classes in visual art. I never selected them as electives in high school because I thought only certain people can do art. Those people included my close friend, Donna who excelled in that area and was always chosen by the teachers to do the classroom … Continue reading Solo Journey: Walking Lavender Fields
Choosing Freedom
As we've moved past our July 4th Independence Day in the US, I'm reminded that we're now into the second half of 2025. During the first half of this year, I've found myself learning how to relax in the flow of life. Through most of my years, I've been a planner, goal-setter, and daydreamer about … Continue reading Choosing Freedom
Artist’s Residency: 14 Days in a Farmhouse
Nine years ago, in the summer before my retirement as a school nurse in March 2017, I decided my journey would be to an artist residency at Artcroft in Paris, Kentucky. I'd read about their community for artists of different genres. It was located about an hour east of Lexington on sixty-six acres of farmland. … Continue reading Artist’s Residency: 14 Days in a Farmhouse
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
Solo Journeys: Riding the Rails
Over the last few days, I've had train travel on my mind. I've been working on my sequel memoir, writing about the summer of 2015. That year, for the first time, I went by Amtrak on my solo journey. The summer before, I'd had my longest road trip ever to northern Michigan and it would … Continue reading Solo Journeys: Riding the Rails
Camino Journey: The Friends We Carry
Lately, I've found myself reminiscing about my Camino journey last August, 2024 and scrolling through the many photos on my phone. Those fourteen days of walking were so full of new sights and the steady demand of covering miles each day to reach my lodging. I'm thankful that I wrote notes every night about the … Continue reading Camino Journey: The Friends We Carry
The Gifts of Reading
This year I've had the joy of reading to my younger grandson, Parks and his Pre-K class. Next week he'll graduate in preparation for entering Kindergarten at the end of August. I've watched him grow over the past year, with increased concentration and ability to sit and listen without interrupting -- waiting to raise his … Continue reading The Gifts of Reading
Connie Rosser Riddle 