Life, Death, Resurrection

Life Bitterroot. Surprise Lilies. Two plants in nature that know resurrection. Both deliver leaves in early spring, then die back.  Dead as a doornail…or so it seems. Two or three months later, a stem of the bitterroot and surprise lily sprouts from the ground and pretty white, pink or purple flowers come to life. Resurrection of a sort. I suppose you can say that the plant never really died, it simply found new life after a long nap. Scientifically, bothRead more

#SoCS: Profound and Pink

She steps out into the morning sun, a growing child of five, taking in the warmth of spring and new beginnings. The child heads to her love, a pink bike that sits in the corner of the yard, the one thing that brings adventure to her life as the tires spin across the grass and gravel. The sun beckons her down the block, across the cracks of sidewalk cement and slowly, across decades, she ages into her real self, theRead more

#SoCS: The Ring that Takes us Back

Ring, circle, loop, wheel… I’m not sure what it is about the coming of autumn. Memories ring and hang in the air. I have been drawn to the home of my youth on a number of occasions, but autumn always takes me back to the lake. Shadow Lake. Where I used to spend many summer days, tanning with the Coppertone lotion that may have had a sunblock of 5 or a sunburn of 5. I didn’t sunburn as a child,Read more

#WATWB: Tradition

This is going to be a short post for the November’s We are the World Blogfest (WATWB). It is the Thanksgiving weekend here in the U.S. and between cooking, feeding my face on Thanksgiving Day, and engaging in my own holiday tradition, I’m going to be a tad busy for a few days. Instead of focusing on a particular person, I thought we could focus on holiday or family traditions. Or create new ones from the possibilities in the followingRead more

I Remember…

“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.” ― L.M. Montgomery When my parents were living independently, I started an annual tradition with mom on Mother’s Day. I would go to a local greenhouse and buy a large, beautiful potted geranium in the brightest color possible for the woman who gave me life. Fuchsia was a favorite color, but red came in second. The geranium always thrived through the summer and in September or October, dadRead more

#SoCS: The Eyes Don’t Have It

I have worn eyeglasses since second grade. I remember sitting in the front row of the classroom and squinting because I couldn’t see the blackboard. I assume the teacher told my parents about my troubles and that was the beginning of a lifetime accessory. Being near-sighted, especially in the right eye, has its challenges. I can read without glasses, but take them off and I can’t see the color of a friend’s eyes when a few feet away. When attendingRead more

SoCS: Not Quite Forgotten

Frodo: “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”Gandalf: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings The ring in the photo belonged to my godmother. When she passed away many years ago, her husband gave it to my motherRead more

It’s Time…

“All is well that ends well.” ~William Shakespeare~ It’s official. I’m retiring. The sun is setting on forty-four years of work life. It’s time to mosey out the door for good. Last day in the office: September 2, 2020. In exactly six weeks and one day, I shall be free. Free of this work, at last. More thoughts to come in the days and weeks ahead. Just thought you should know… This post has been brought to you by retirementRead more

A New Chapter: Life as Me

“There’s a grace when the heart is under fire Another way when the walls are closing in And when I look at the space between Where I used to be and this reckoning I know I will never be alone” ~From Another in the Fire by Hillsong~ Ten years ago, I wanted it to be over with. The divorce. I had two months to go for it to be final, and a number of years before I truly felt peace.Read more

Three Times

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. ― Marthe Troly-Curtin It’s Sunday as I type, and eight inches of expected snow is falling to the ground. White and fluffy and accumulative. Meanwhile, a marathon of NCIS Los Angeles is playing on the TV and Gibbs the cat can’t make up his mind if he’s needy, hungry or needy. It is all I can do to not “waste time” on the couch. Lay sideways. Nap. Watch TV. It’s that kind ofRead more

SoCS: When Knives Attack!

This post is based solely on the movie name of “Knives Out,” per direction from the fabulous Linda G. Hill. Have I ever told you of my relationship with knives? I love using knives. They make cooking much easier – slicing instead of pounding with a rock or tearing with my teeth. Knives, on the other hand, don’t always love me back. Take, for instance, the time many years ago when a bread knife decided to take a journey offRead more

SoCS: Around the Sun in 12

Three hundred sixty-five and one-quarter times around the sun. Twelve months. Another year has passed by and 2019 is almost finito. I thought I would take each month of the past year and share one or two things I remembered about it (good or bad) and see what kind of picture is left. January – Horrible winter month. I worked from home one day, toward the end of the month, because the wind chill was -50F (-45.5C). Brrrr. February –Read more