Rarely do we get away from them. And most times, they’re what causes us more frustration and stress than we care to admit. Yet, we keep on doing those same things, refusing to rearrange our schedules to include time for rest. …
Continue reading →Of Mom and Dad’s three sons, somehow, I received most of the family heirlooms. As family members aged, they either offered me these items or I asked for them. Since I’m a nostalgic kind of guy, I grabbed every piece of furniture and nick knack I could. …
Continue reading →I was thrilled and immediately placed it on my left ring finger, laughing as I flashed it around as if it was a whole carat of sparkles. …
Continue reading →At the end of the day the water was turned into wine because You honored Your mother….
Continue reading →Trees had overgrown the fence, and the shrubs needed a trim. Numerous weeds had overtaken what used to be a vegetable garden. I was overwhelmed at the scale of work that I needed to accomplish, but I knew I had brought the necessary tools. …
Continue reading →In our area of the United States, hummingbirds arrive in late March or early April and hang around until mid-October. A few weeks before their arrival, I hang three feeders for the scouts who arrive earlier to find so they can tell the later arrivers. One feeder outside our back-porch window, one outside our dining room window, and one outside our kitchen window. Almost anywhere we sit or stand in the house, we can view the beautiful little birds feeding. …
Continue reading →One year before, the app showed my wife and I had joined our daughter and her two boys for a trip to Granddad’s Apples in Hendersonville, NC—a trip we made annually, either with them or someone else. This particular year, things had gotten busy. Had the app not reminded me, we may have forgotten to go. …
Continue reading →On a trip north to visit my family, Lydia, in all her audacious two-year oldness, pointed to me as the one to oversee her bath time. With no grandchildren of my own, I hesitated at first, but two-year-olds do not accept an “I’ll pass” or any of the other flimsy excuses I tried. …
Continue reading →As he peered out, the reflection of light on the ocean created the appearance of a million shimmering diamonds. He focused on the sound of the engine coming from the rear of the speedboat as he heard the captain’s baritone voice say, “Two minutes out, get ready everyone.” Jake knew this was it. Was he ready? Or was the sweat on his brow just nerves. He knew it was now or never–if he was going to break free of his fear of the ocean, he had to jump. This was his moment…
Continue reading →Firsts are important. On this day, two of my cousins brought a mahogany china cabinet to our home. The reason it was a first was not that it’s the first one I’ve ever owned but because it was the first piece of furniture my mom ever bought with her own money. She purchased it to hold china she planned to purchase as a part of setting up housekeeping with my dad. …
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