It was in June of 2023 -- not long after the pandemic lockdown. I was in Charlottesville, Virginia with a friend walking around the downtown area. It was a casual Saturday, people eating brunch at the sidewalk tables and browsing the crafted goods of artisans. Heading for a coffee shop, I almost ran into a … Continue reading HUGS FOR FREE: A Crazy Idea?
Baby Boomers getting Divorced
Invitation to a New Year
This is my Birthday Eve. At 2:10 a.m. I'll roll over into a new year and a new decade of my life. I've been preparing for this, reading and pondering what it means to be seventy. The book that's been most instructive is Ageless Soul: The Lifelong Journey Toward Meaning & Joy by Thomas Moore … Continue reading Invitation to a New Year
Faith, Hope, Luck, and Love of the Irish
Monday is St. Patrick's Day but the celebrating will start this weekend -- with parades and lots of pubs with live Irish music. Growing up in a Protestant church, I never knew about the Catholic saints. I now read that St. Patrick was a missionary who spread Christianity throughout Ireland during the 5th century. Photo … Continue reading Faith, Hope, Luck, and Love of the Irish
Letting Christmas Go
I sit at my dining table looking out at my patio garden that is bare--except for the scattering of leaves I need to rake. Birds fly to my feeder, grateful that I just loaded it with a rich blend of seeds and peanuts, something to suit the taste of multiple species and the squirrel who … Continue reading Letting Christmas Go
Struggling During the Holidays: Hope for Depression
Last Sunday was the first in the Advent season of the Christian Calendar, a time of waiting for the birth of the Messiah--the incarnate God who would walk this Earthly journey. People of other faiths have their own traditions that are special at this or other times of year. When we're in these seasons of … Continue reading Struggling During the Holidays: Hope for Depression
Camino Samaritan
Last night I went to the Country Dance at Loafer's and talked with my friend who'll soon be leaving on a cruise to Portugal and Spain. I'd gotten the information about that trip and it sent me in a different direction. I started thinking of the Camino and wondered if I could take a route … Continue reading Camino Samaritan
The Pilgrimage Within
Two months from next Wednesday, I'll set off for my Camino journey. On August 5th, I'll fly to Porto, Portugal the starting point for my trek that'll last for 17 days and 173 miles. I've been training--more or less, over the past few months, building my time in my trail running shoes, walking for hours … Continue reading The Pilgrimage Within
Go Forth in the Flow of Your Life
This weekend I made a return trip to the mountains of North Carolina to see my friends, Paula and David. Last November--after six years of not seeing each other, I visited with them in their home near Sparta Hike Over Bluff Mountain: Friendship Continued. Now, five months later, we had our recent time together to refer … Continue reading Go Forth in the Flow of Your Life
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
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
Connie Rosser Riddle 