Call me overly sentimental or childish or whatever else might come to mind, but I unapologetically love Christmas lights. l love the twinkling, the colors, and the glow emitted from strands of tiny bulbs strung over trees, porches, or outlining the inside or outside of homes. I find the light cozy, comforting, and symbolic of…

With Christmas almost here, I plan to do some baking this week. I’ll be using some of the oranges from our trees since we always cordon off a few when the Sunkist pickers come. Though the oranges are not as pretty as they were back in October when the other trees were picked, they are…

Tonight we gathered with Rachael’s boyfriend Andrew’s family for their annual Posada, commemorating Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem, where they searched for a safe place to stay while Mary gave birth to Jesus. Many family members and friends were invited, and there was delicious food, including tamales and green chili pozole with chicken. Yum,…

Today, my grandson, Ethan Arthur Betty, is one year old. I am in Texas at the moment but am returning tomorrow, so I’ll get to see the little birthday boy tomorrow evening. I would think that little Ethan was adorable even if he weren’t my grandson. He has big blue eyes, curly blond hair, a…

I was looking out the window today at the tops of several trees with bare limbs silhouetted against the winter sky. It took me back forty years to one winter day when I made a visit to the college where my mother taught. We were walking together after her class and I pointed to a…