I wrote this piece a while back, but it still reflects many of my feelings about my mother. This could be titled, “Some of My Favorite Things about Mom.” I was thinking about my mother today and the secret things I loved about her. For example, I loved her smell, which was a combination of…
Poem: A Rescue Mission
My childhood self sat alone and afraidat the bottom of a deep, dark cave She had no ability to save herselfShe was small, vulnerableUnaware of options I knew she was thereI was aware I could save herI understood I was the only person Who could rescue her I stood at the cave’s mouthFaced the darknessIgnored…
Flash Fiction: Edith’s Tear
This is a story I wrote a while back. I thought I would share it tonight because I like the main character’s voice, and the ending made me smile. Dad gives me a wink, like we are pals or something. We’re sitting in our kitchen having eggs and waffles on a Sunday morning. I’m not…
Congratulations to Marie Howe for Her Pulitzer Prize in Poetry!
I love Marie Howe’s poetry. It is accessible, heartfelt, and beautifully expressed. I first saw her when she was a guest on fellow poet Billy Collins’s Masterclass and she read her poem, “What the Living Do,” which expresses her grief over losing her brother John to AIDS in 1889. I lost two brothers, John and…
Easy and Delicious Instant Pot Recipe: Honey Garlic Chicken
I plan to make this recipe this evening. It’s easy and delicious. I’ll make rice to go with it since the sauce from the chicken is so good. I got the recipe from https://diethood.com/instant-pot-honey-garlic-chicken-recipe/ if you want more information. The recipe uses sesame oil, which gives it a wonderfully rich flavor. This is a definite go-to…
Thanks for Visiting, Scott and Amy Ellis!
Our neighbors, Scott and Amy Ellis, from Sherman, Texas, visited us last week. One of the purposes of their trip (besides fun) was for Scott to help us set up our new solar panels. Thanks, Scott, you were a great help. On the other days, we enjoyed the beach, visited a few sites around our…
May 2nd and 3rd, 2004: My Brother George’s Last Days
I wrote this several years back, but I love this story of my brother George’s last day. My brother approached death with such grace, it was awe-inspiring. *** Twenty-one years ago tomorrow, my brother George passed away. He was 54 years old. George called on the evening of May 2nd, 2004, and told me that…
A Favorite Photo of My Dad at the Sale Barn
Here is one of my favorite pictures of my dad. He is the man holding the microphone, wearing black “Barry Goldwater” glasses. He is above the ring where livestock came in one at a time and were auctioned off to local ranchers and major meat-packing companies, like Hormel or Jimmy Dean. I don’t know the…
Poem: Your Arms-Wide-Open Heart
I didn’t expect to love youI thought instead you’d be a friendSomeone I’d enjoy when I saw youAnd think little about when I didn’t.But that’s not what happened.Instead, you slipped right past all the roadblocksMade me laugh and feel seenSurpassed my expectations Pulled me close And have never let me go.Loyalty, after all, is one…
What Love Looks Like With a Little Help from Viktor Frankl
The best lesson I’ve learned about love is this: the greatest gift I can offer another person is to stop whatever I’m doing, listen — really listen — to what they’re saying, and then make the effort to see the world through their eyes. It sounds simple enough, but it’s not, especially when the other…
20 Minutes a Day 