Nurse Jackie: Learning As I Watch

Ray has returned from Texas and this evening we will be celebrating by binge watching more of Showtime’s Nurse Jackie starring Edie Falco. For those of you who are also late to the game in terms of watching this Emmy award-winning series (2009 – 2015), I can say that it takes a hard look at…

Calling for Advice On Life From My Older Readers

Having just had a birthday, I sat in church today and considered that I have no clue where I am going from here. I have a few projects that are part of my current life and certainly plenty of work that needs to be finished, but as far as a big picture plan, goal or…

Brooklyn: The Film

We just returned from seeing the movie, Brooklyn. This is a definite must-see for anyone who values strong storytelling, engaging characters, and compelling acting. The story, about a young woman who moves to the United States in the early ’50’s from Ireland, demonstrates how strong the Irish community was in Brooklyn in the late 40’s…

The Simple Pleasure of An Overnight Visit

We are having the pleasure of an overnight visit from our daughter Elizabeth Beaty, who had LASIK surgery today at an outpatient facility near our home. She has a follow-up visit tomorrow morning, which makes it quite convenient to spend the night here rather than in Glendale where she lives. Our cat William is especially…

Pure Beauty

Here is little Luna with her four-day-old little brother, Nico. My heart caught in my throat when I saw this photo. Pure beauty and sweetness. I am blessed.

Happy Birthday, Daughter Elizabeth

Today is the 30th birthday of Elizabeth, my middle daughter. She and her friends (including sister Rachael) headed off to Magic Mountain for the day. We are going to celebrate on Monday evening due to her nephew Nico’s recent birth. Liz, as someone said to me when I turned 30, welcome to the best years…

Best Birthday Wishes to My First Cousin, Lee

Happy birthday to my old friend and first cousin, Lee Leatherwood, who preceded me into this life by six days. We have known each other all of our lives, having lived only a block away from each other for our first five years, then only a few blocks away until we were eighteen. Then, we…

Nico’s Arrival: A Few Scary Moments

Ray and I had a good cry yesterday after they wheeled Sarah into the operating room for an emergency c-section after 12 hours of labor. Her blood pressure had sunk to 30/60 and baby Nico’s heart rate had dropped to 80 from 155. Suddenly, the medical team went from one nurse to a whole roomful…

Still Pregnant

Hi, my friends. Yes, we are still waiting for baby Nico to decide it is time to make his appearance. We (all members of the family) are learning more about patience than anybody ever wanted to know , along with what life circumstances can and cannot be controlled. Alas, baby Nico is healthy and apparently…

Repost: The Messiness of Change

I have always hated what comes first when contemplating change: the ruin of what is; the demolition of the status quo; the process of undoing in order to redo. This has caused me great discomfort, a person with a strong need for tidiness and order. “Let’s knock down that wall,” my husband might say as…