I had this salad this past weekend when we celebrated Father’s Day. Ron’s mom, Cindy Betty, made it and it truly is a winner. It not only tastes wonderful but it also is beautiful. You can trust it to turn out perfectly every time and your family and/or guests will love it. Try it. You’ll…

Sorry about my sudden drop-off related to posting, but over the past two weeks, multiple deadlines converged and left me scrambling to get everything done. Instead of writing in the evening, I fell into bed and slept. I can now happily say that crunch time is over and I’m feeling very happy about that. I…

We celebrated Father’s Day today for Ray, Gregorio, and Ron. We had a lovely time, and I feel very grateful that these fellows are around to offer love and guidance to their kids (and in Ray’s case, kids and grandkids). They all are kind, compassionate, and witty, which makes life a whole lot more fun….

“Thank you,” Mary Ellen called out to the locksmith as he climbed into his utility truck. “Enjoy your new treasures,” he said, then slammed the truck door and drove away. Mary Ellen hurried back to her den, where the newly-unlocked chest sat waiting for her discovery. She was just lifting the lid when her husband…

Today, I made a chai anniversary cake with cream cheese frosting for Ray and me and wrote in raisins on the top, “Happy 43rd.” What I didn’t realize until I stepped back to examine my handiwork was that the 43rd looked as if it was about to slip off the top edge of the cake….

I wrote this several years back when Gregorio and Sarah first got married. It’s a sweet story and I couldn’t resist sharing it again, particularly since it’s June and this is the month all of this happened. They’ve had two more children since that time. Luna is now ten, Nico is seven, and Lyla is…

This cartoon comes from FunnyTimes.com. I think it says more in one glimpse than I could convey in a couple of thousand words. With that in mind, I’ll just say, “Point well made,” and “Enough already.” Let’s honor classic literature and also live and let live. May we overcome our fear of the “other” so…

Liz was right behind Ethan in case he fell. He stood up quite impressively for about thirty seconds. Not bad for a 5 1/2 month old. Looks like he might like gardening based on his eyeing that potting soil. Of course, he may have been thinking how good it might taste if he could get…

Written June 2002 I sang last Monday night on the main stage at Carnegie Hall. Len Leatherwood from little Bonham, Texas, sang at Carnegie Hall in New York City. How did THAT happen? I am not an exceptional singer. I wish I were, but I’m not. I’m a good singer with a decent soprano voice….