Today I found a box of old photos. What a treat. Here are a few to give you a window into my earlier life. My little brother, Sam, and me in the mid-60’s. This is taken in our living room of our family home in Bonham, Texas. Ray Beaty, when he came to Arkansas to…
The Wisdom of Letting Go
I have had the occasion over the past few days to talk to several people who are in pain. In one case, a parent is worried about an adult child who is having serious issues; in another, a friend is worried about another friend who is terminally ill. Worry is the operative word here. Worry…
Repost: A Tribute to My Best Friend, RIP, on Her Birthday
Today is Patricia’s birthday and I think it’s appropriate to repost a blog I wrote about her a while back. To my beloved friend: My best friend growing up was Patricia Butler. I met her when I was three and she was four, when her family moved to my little town and began attending our…
Off to Make a Difference
My daughter, Liz, and her boyfriend, Ron, left today for a ten day vacation to Alaska. The twist on this story is that they are not going to Anchorage to hang out and relax; they’re going to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity. I am proud of these two, who are using their vacation…
On Joy
Yesterday, I presented my thoughts on happiness to the best of my ability for what time I had allotted to that activity. Today’s topic is joy. Please note these are simply my musings, not words I think are written in stone. When I write this, I am aware that there will be many points that…
On Happiness
One of my friends asked if I would write my thoughts about happiness and joy. I have undertaken that task and have discovered that I need to break these topics into two separate essays; otherwise, I’m afraid I will not explore them to the level that will feel satisfying to me or to you, my…
Short Post Tonight
I wrote on my computer tonight an essay considering the differences between happiness and joy, but we are at the orange grove with no Internet reception. Granted, I could walk down the road to my neighbors, but it is a dark night and I am not so inclined. I will see how the essay reads…
Rich Versus Poor, What Makes the Real Difference?
Sometimes money is not what it’s cracked up to be. I have met some of the poorest rich people and some of the richest poor people. The key seems to be to have an external focus. Self absorption does not a lovely person make. An example of a poverty-stricken rich man was someone I had…
Bach, Rain and Luna: 3 Of My Favorite Things
I am sitting in my living room, listening to J.S. Bach’s Oboe Concerto in F featuring F. Heinz Holliger. The air is cool wafting in from the open French door since we had a good steady rain a couple of hours ago. The road out front is quiet. A Sunday evening with most people around…
5 Star Recipe for Lemon Almond Cookies
My great-nephew Eli, a fellow non-eater of refined sugar, came up with this delicious and nutritious recipe for a cake-like lemon cookie sweetened with honey or agave. This is one of those recipes that you can count on. The cookies are perfect every time in taste and texture. Today I went out and pulled a…
20 Minutes a Day 