(ROCKWALL, TX — May 5, 2020) Out for a walk one April morning, I stopped to greet a neighbor from a safe, COVID-19 distance. When I inquired about her well-being during these trying days, she burst into tears. Her daughter, she explained, is a high-school senior—was a high-school senior. Everything is upended in their world. […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – April 5, 2020) My heart beats faster as the clock strikes midnight in the fairy tale movie. Cinderella is running down the castle steps with the awful realization that her beautiful clothing will soon return to rags. I recall two episodes of real panic, and both involved the same child. Our son, at […]
The year 2020 arrived with more than a bang: a US embassy attack followed by ballistic missiles and the resulting loss of a passenger plane. Meanwhile, as Australia battled wildfire, several other countries experienced either earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Closer to home, we watched a troubling impeachment trial and grieved the death of a beloved […]
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. –Song of Solomon 2:4 Heart-shaped chocolate boxes abound for Valentine’s Day, and some can be found even in senior-living communities, though romantic couples are hard to find. But one residential center I have visited was abuzz for months over a pair […]
I heaved a sigh of relief as my husband, Jim, pulled a chunk of splintered wood from the palm of my hand. A small piece remained behind, and weeks later, though I couldn’t see it, the splinter still smarted if I touched the right spot. Jim’s own little splinter was more elusive. He’d rubbed one […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — Dec. 2, 2019) The familiar melodies arrive around the same time as poinsettias. Like cough medicines and Menthol lozenges we purchase this time of year, their lyrics may soothe us: What Child is this, who, laid to rest/On Mary’s lap is sleeping?1 Though the nations may rage and winter weather behave likewise, […]
“…wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds… Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted.” –Psalm 148:10, 13* (ROCKWALL, TX — Nov. 8, 2019) I can almost taste it. But roast turkey is off limits for me these days, according to my vet, who said, “No […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — Oct. 7, 2019) Midway Island is home to the cormorants, long-necked birds with voracious appetites. Sadly, a massive patch of non-biodegradable refuse is swirling in that area of the Pacific Ocean, and these elegant creatures are dying prematurely—their stomachs filled with plastic debris. That’s only one terrible consequence of garbage patches at […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — August 8, 2019) There’s a plethora of helpful advice available to us all, usually as close as our Junk Mail box. Mostly we’ll find alluring appeals to our flesh: Keto Fat Burning, Dementia Destroyer, Brain Enhancers, and others—some unmentionable. Those who peddle such products and services might believe in their ability to […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — July 9, 2019) The beautiful church on a wooded hillside is only two country miles down the road. We’ve quickly warmed to the friendly congregation and their down-to-earth pastor who’s over sixty, like us. My husband and I appreciate the traditional worship service, although we’re less fond of the song selections, which […]