Walking and Talking along the Yellow Brick Road

Walking and Talking along the Yellow Brick Road

Rockwall, TX (August 8, 2023) – Plenty of tears will fall as the new school year commences. Not so much from the kindergartener’s eyes. Or the college freshman left standing awkwardly in a dorm room with a stranger for a roommate. It will likely be the parents—mostly the moms—whose eyes well up and spill salty […]

The Confession of a Once-Pagan King

The Confession of a Once-Pagan King

Rockwall, TX (June 23, 2023) – My wooded neighborhood features a mix of mature hardwood and pine trees—up to 100 feet tall. We welcome the rains that keep them green but worry about high winds that make them sway. Rain and wind are a dangerous combination since the added weight of wet leaves can bring […]

Patti Richter, On Faith: Someone’s Knocking at the Door

Patti Richter, On Faith: Someone’s Knocking at the Door

ROCKWALL, TX (May 5, 2023) If there’s anything that symbolizes a new adventure, it’s a door. Suspense movies often include them. Amusement parks feature them in a range of shapes, sizes, and colors to fit a particular theme. Photographers and antique buyers like old doors. Homeowners prefer new ones. They will replace their original, builder-installed […]

Patti Richter, On Faith: A River That No One Could Cross

Patti Richter, On Faith: A River That No One Could Cross

ROCKWALL, TX (April 5, 2023) From the shoreline, the bluffs on the far side of the lake seemed reachable in my twelve-year-old mind. The water was calm, and no boats were out at the time. So, with only my younger brother around to approve or protest, I decided to swim across the entire lake. About […]

Patti Richter, On Faith: Great – And Not So Great – Expectations

Patti Richter, On Faith: Great – And Not So Great – Expectations

ROCKWALL, TX (Feb. 12, 2023) A young woman sat at her desk in an office that served university professors. She smiled at the sight of each vase of flowers delivered to her throughout the day—Valentine’s Day. She hadn’t expected this show of appreciation from those she worked for. Even so, she did hope for a […]

Kudzu and that other creeping threat

Kudzu and that other creeping threat

ROCKWALL, TX (Oct. 27, 2022) Horror films are not my genre, though, in my youth, I relished the Friday night “Chiller” feature on TV. Old movies like “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” and “The Wolf Man” were part of my coming-of-age repertoire. One night many full moons ago, all alone in the house, I stayed up late to […]

Patti Richter, On Faith | In Autumn and Beyond: Reasons To Be Glad

Patti Richter, On Faith | In Autumn and Beyond: Reasons To Be Glad

At summer’s end, we might hear someone express the sentiment, “Fall is my favorite season.” Many of us will agree. The abbreviated hours of heat and dialed-down humidity bring us relief. The mosquitoes have mostly perished, and we enjoy more time outside. The kids will do more cartwheels, and we’ll leap along with them—at least […]

Patti Richter, On Faith: God’s Great Big, Wonderful World

Patti Richter, On Faith: God’s Great Big, Wonderful World

ROCKWALL COUNTY, TX (Sept. 26, 2022) Kids returning to school will no doubt learn some amazing things their parents never knew or else have forgotten. Some of us could benefit from studying along with them, suspending part of our daily grind in exchange for a bit of amazement over this big world. History’s appeal increases […]

Patti Richter, On Faith: Righting a Ship or a Nation

Patti Richter, On Faith: Righting a Ship or a Nation

ROCKWALL, TX (June 28, 2022) – Twenty years ago, the USS Spiegel Grove went down near Key Largo, Florida. But the locals happily observe the anniversary since the sinking was intentional. The state had received title to the retired Navy ship hoping it could become a haven for marine life. The sunken ship, just six […]