ROCKWALL, TX – October 8, 2020 — We sat on the floor hugging our knees to our chest for protection, wide-eyed at the scene before us. Several people with the same ghastly appearance stumbled forward— not in living color but in half-dead black and white. That was my first encounter with zombies, when Mom allowed […]
ROCKWALL, TX – August 24, 2020 — The wheels on the bus go round and round after nearly six months of sheltering in place. Two of my grandchildren – sporting colorful new masks – are hopping aboard. Attending school may well become the most notable event of Fall 2020. To open or not to open? […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – June 22, 2020) My usual Saturday morning phone call to my elderly parents opened with a question I’d never before asked them: “Do you have plenty of toilet paper?” Isolated in the early months of COVID-19, they depended solely on my time-challenged sister’s weekly visit and grocery run. My father answered and eased […]
(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 […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – Dec. 9, 2019) This week’s Stingerette Senior Showcase is Miss Faith Brightwell. Faith is the daughter of Cynthia Brightwell and Robert Brightwell. Faith currently holds the position of Stingerette Head Manager. She is also the Stingerette Chaplin. Faith also served as a past manager. Areas of interest for Faith are forensic science and […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — March 28, 2019) She sounded worried on the phone, and no wonder, her husband faced a federal indictment in connection to a former employer’s wrongdoings. The trouble was only beginning for my friend Luann and her family. Ominous clouds closed in on their once bright lives—rich in Christian fellowship, community service, and […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – March 21, 2019) Big congrats to Faith Mitchell! She received a Leadership Scholarship from Chick-fil-A Rockwall for her incredible work at the restaurant and in our community. Faith has been serving guests at Chick-fil-A in Rockwall for the past year and a half. She volunteers with AWANA and goes on mission trips with […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — March 13, 2019) She was unstoppable and courageous. At least her pink shirt said so. But her sudden wailing revealed something else. She was rigid with fear after a sharp-toothed terrier rejected her affection. When my granddaughter suffered two wounds and received a few stitches for each, we gained a reminder about […]
(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Dec. 16, 2018) I fancied myself an actress after starring in my eighth grade play, but high school became more competitive. A girl named Mary received the lead role in our spring production while I accepted the part of collecting admission tickets for the event. When Mary graduated and left Arkansas to pursue […]