I am sitting here in my living room.  It is dark outside and there is a chill coming from the open back door, which leads to our back patio.  A helicopter just passed overhead, the drone of its engine slowly fading into the distance.  Cordelia, the corgi, is walking around the living room looking for…

When my husband is bored or ready to leave or fed up with what someone is saying, he whistles.  It is the same tune every time – a series of notes that go up and then go down – and he is not particularly aware that he is sending off this signal.  When I comment…

I never met my grandfather, but my mother’s description of him has brought him to life for me.  He was a small man, not quite 5’8”, and very slim.  He wore round spectacles and had bright eyes that shone when he saw his only daughter, Helen Marie.  He called my mother his “little gurl,” since…

Looking for a cake for a special occasion? This will serve you well. Honey Cake with Carmelized Pears from Delish.com INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS Carmelized Pears INGREDIENTS Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sugar; cook, stirring, until almost dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pears; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just golden,…

Albert Einstein said, “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”  I have spent my life convinced that we inhabit the “friendly” universe that Albert Einstein refers to; that we live in a world full of people who, like me, do their best most days…

Prompt: How is Your Life Different Than What You Envisioned at Sixteen? When I was sixteen, I knew that in my future I wanted a loving husband and several children.  I also wanted a career since I knew from watching my mother get her Ph.D. as I was growing up that having intellectual stimulation and…

Rachael with her two nieces and two nephews plus Luna, the husky. Sarah, Lyla, Ron, Rachael, and Ray Andrew’s mom, Martha, cooking for us. Andrew’s brothers, David and Michael, with Andrew and his mom in the background Baby Ethan with David along with Andrew and Martha in the background. Ray, Ron, Gregorio, and Rachael David’s…

Here are a few things I’ve learned from writing 2887 blog posts to date, which I can proudly say have had 313, 343 views! Some take 20 minutes, a few take 10 and most take at least 45 minutes to an hour.  And then there are those I spend as much as 2 hours on.  The…

Hummingbird Cake originated in Jamaica, where it was called a “Doctor Bird” cake, which is the nickname for the Red-billed Streamertail, a member of the hummingbird family. Presumably, the banana and pineapple cake got its name because it was so full of fruit that it attracted hummingbirds. Once the recipe came to the Southern US…

My mother had one dish she cooked – spaghetti with clam sauce – and only if we’d run out of Cambell’s soup and chicken pot pies. That was just the way it was. She didn’t clean, either. Cooking and cleaning were tasks that you hired other people to do. She had more important ways to…