He is Risen! Easter is the most important religious holiday for Christians. But I did not go to church on Easter. This made me feel momentarily guilty, but on the other hand, my gratitude to my Higher Power was demonstrated differently. Family! Ours is large and boisterous and full of love for each other. Not everyone is so blessed. It seems to me that gathering those relatives together to celebrate Easter is undoubtedly the right spirit to have. We are…
What a year it has been! I am so happy living here in Charlottesville, VA. My children say it is my “reward.” It is, in some ways, the best time of my life. Isn’t it strange how that works out? I will be 82 in January, and that number shocks me. I once thought that was old. And, of course, it is ancient to my grandchildren. Even my own children worry about me in a way they never appeared to…
I am smiling as I write this because I know the ending to this part of Serenas’ story. It had been ten days since my dog, Serena went missing. Ten days with no word at all, made me assume she was dead, gone for good. After all, I had contacted everyone I could think of. I went door to door to the neighbors, begging for information. They all understood how much it meant to me. We had contacted the local…
The voice spoke to me from outside my body but I was alone. There was no one with me. “You don’t want to live here. You need to leave and go to Charlottesville. You want to be with your children and grandchildren. Go!” I was alone in my mothers’ bedroom on a day in late February 2020. The room was dark, curtains drawn, and the blue silk wallpaper seemed to fade out to nothing. The cream-colored, French provincial, dresser I…
Remember being 10 years old? Such a milestone, 2 digits! I was thrilled when I turned 10 that I could say something happened 10 years ago. A new type of “me” arose by the time my life contained that august number of years. Everyone has an annual birthday whether it is celebrated or not. But some are more important than others. 12 was also a big year for me, as I became a woman on my 12th birthday, much to…
Christmas this year was one of the best ever. Our family is large and several members have birthdays in December. There is even one on the 23rd and one on Christmas Eve. These family members have parties in addition to the Christmas parties already scheduled by friends and families. None of the parties were canceled. And they were all a lot of fun. The weather was mild, and we were often outside for hiking and eating. At one birthday, the…
When the sun sets with a crescendo of color so magnificent it takes the breath away, trying to capture it leads to multiple photos. Or when it rises in splendid spirals of pink, orange, fuchsia, and golden light. Brightening the dark mauve sky at dawn by degrees is God’s way of increasing the light. My first act after a moment or two of awe is to reach for my phone to memorialize the sight. Looking back through my photos for…
One of my children asked about anti-body tests. Are they reliable? Some others talked about crazy stories they heard about people not being allowed to attend weddings of friends unless they had the shot. Some frightened friends of parents would not allow them to come into the house without a mask. The stigma against the people who have not had the shot is out of all proportion to the danger. If one did not know better, one would think that…
Below is a wonderful but alarming article about the fact that those who question the government or the medical mandates are being seen as terrorists. This article was originally published on Intellectual Takeout. Please read it and think about whether this is the way we want our country to think of people like me. By Jeff Minick I’ve just learned I may be a terrorist. On Aug. 13, the Secretary of Homeland Security issued a…
COVID-19 dominates the news. It feels like the end of the world. Surely we will all die if we don’t listen to the authorities. We are in such danger from each other that we need to avoid people. Be frightened of your grandchildren, and grandchildren be terrified of “killing” your grandparents. What a terrible idea that is. Family is so important we must not ignore its importance in the face of a threat that is way over-hyped. We are supposedly…
Easter morning was shot through with sunlight and still a bit chill from the night cooling. But the promise of a warm day was in the air along with the scent of flowering trees and shrubbery. What a Day!!!! Lucky for me, because 24 people were expected for lunch at 1:00 pm. All of my five children and their mates, plus my ex-husband and his wife Julie and ten of our grandchildren (plus 3 young men who were dates for…
Be grateful for all you have at Thanksgiving. And don’t be afraid.
There is so much negative and wrong information in the news today. It is vital to stop and take note of all the good. Yesterday I had an early class and so woke before sunrise. How often do we appreciate the beauty of the dawn? Even before the sun comes into view, the sky begins its chameleon dance. The shades of grey become silver and suddenly start to glisten. Embedded in the silver are streaks of golden lights; molten, evolving…
It is time to ask the difficult questions about end of life decisions.
It is Sunday morning and I was up early making my coffee. ?Sitting on the cutting board was a fresh melon that I bought yesterday but forgot to store in the refrigerator. When I opened the door of my fridge and rearranged some things to make room, I noticed a package of prociutto that I had forgotten I had. Slicing the melon, tearing off some pieces of the meat, my breakfast satisfied hunger and gave me mental entertainment. This is…
