It’s the middle of the night and I wake to hear music. Music? At 2:00am? Oh, yeah, now I remember. My grandbaby is visiting and she sleeps to worship music playing all night long. Worship music. All night. This is the child of the child of mine who often listened to music I highly and vehemently disapproved of when she was a teenager. More than once I drove down the road listening to a CD my granddaughter’s mother (aka, my daughter) had pushed into the car’s CD player that I didn't Keep Reading...
Shark!
It's Shark Week y'all ~ When I was in college, I got in a car wreck and, apparently, the insurance company for the guy that ran into me - sending me to the hospital by ambulance where I got over two hundred stitches – wanted to give me some money so I would not sue them for a whole lot more money! I was getting ready to graduate from college, get married and enter the “real world” so I did what every down-to-earth, logical girl would do. I bought scuba gear! Not long after my husband Keep Reading...
What a Three-legged Dog Taught Me
A few days ago I went for a bike ride. Because of my diagnosis, my family and friends worry about me when I ride. I question whether I should be riding since I am due to have a procedure on my knee soon. Why not just wait until I recover? I was pedaling along thinking, “Why am I even doing this? In a few weeks I will have a procedure that will make it impossible to ride for weeks – maybe months. What’s the use?” And then I looked over and saw a couple walking a dog. The dog was kind of Keep Reading...
The Hill
Last week I took advantage of the beautiful, warm Texas weather to go cycling while visiting two of my daughters in Dallas. As I was pedaling on the spacious bike paths, I realized I was not focusing on the beauty around me. I was only focusing on the hill I knew I would have to climb on the way back. I kept telling myself to enjoy the journey but it was futile. All I could think about was that blasted hill. I had ridden this path more than once and I knew the hill could be a beast. So Keep Reading...
The Diagnosis – AKA THE LIE
I rode my bike for the first time in such a long time that I cannot remember how long it has been since I last rode. As I pedaled down the country road, I wondered why I quit riding. I really enjoy riding my bike so why in the world did I quit? Oh, yeah! I quit because of the diagnosis. That’s why I quit. The diagnosis. When I was 13 years old, I had knee surgery. Whatever they did during the surgery didn’t make my knee “well” so I have spent 38 years adapting and compensating for a bum Keep Reading...
One Woman’s Weakness is Another Woman’s Strength
I have been preoccupied with getting my manuscript to the publisher so I have had a bit of a blogging break. But, tonight I overheard several ladies talking and it reminded me of a past blog. Enjoy! I hate doing the laundry. Really hate it. I would rather mow the yard in 100-degree temperature then do the laundry. When I mow, I at least know that my efforts will last a few days. When the sweet smell of fresh cut grass tickles my nose, I can look around at the nicely manicured lawn Keep Reading...
Things I Learned on a Recent Trip
#1 People don't people watch at airports anymore - they phone watch. Everywhere I looked, I saw people looking down at their phones. No one paid any attention to others around them. Could this be a major contributing factor to the increasing narcissism in our society? Years ago, I friend of mine had a professor make the prediction that "the Walkman will ruin the art of conversation. People will listen to a device and stop talking to each other." We were so enamored with the new technology that Keep Reading...
What I Found in my Closest in the Middle of the Night
I had a son that died. Full term. At birth. Unexpected. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you may not know that about me because I have only mentioned it once – though it shaped me and my faith. Why don’t I write about it? Because I choose to chuckle. I choose not to dwell on it. Though his death shaped me, I refuse to let it define me in a negative way. I was raised by a dad whose favorite motto and motivator was, “If the sun doesn’t come up, grab a lantern and Keep Reading...
Choices
I went to the paint store today to pick out some paint for my dining room. The first time I picked out paint, I chose poorly ~ so I was choosing again. I walked up to the display that held those little strips of paint colors and was overwhelmed. I fought back a panic attack. How was I supposed to make a decision with so many choices? How was I was supposed to pick a paint color from one little strip of color when there were a kazillion choices. And we all know the little chip of a Keep Reading...
Beach Day with God
Several of my friends are facing very hard things in their lives right now. These trials reminded me of my beach day… Stay strong and brave, friends! Last spring, my husband and I were fortunate enough to be taken on a trip around the coast of Spain. We didn’t really know anyone on the trip very well so one day we found ourselves at the beach by ourselves. I wanted to go to the beach but my husband – I’ll call him Jack (because, well, that is his name) – did not care to be at the beach but I Keep Reading...