Letting Go of Stuff…Why Does It Hurt So Much?
Soon my husband and I are going to participate in a community flea market, selling off what has become unbearable clutter. But it was also a mass of memories. How … Continue reading
Washing Away the Dust of Emotional Winter
Ka-boom! Thunder grumbles its way down our valley, a muttered answer to the crack of lightning shortly before. The air feels blue—fresh yet charged with possibilities, disguised beneath gray skies … Continue reading
Brother, Can You Spare a Driveway?
If you watch the biographical film THE LADY IN THE VAN, you could have many reactions. First, you could be dazzled by the superb acting of Maggie Smith as an … Continue reading
Rubber Ball Spirit: The Ability to Bounce Back
How quickly do you recover your good humor after a shock or depression? The capacity to bounce back is called resilience, and it can mean the difference between a joyful … Continue reading
Where’s Jason Bourne When You Need Him? Flopping Around in a Spy Novel Life
Did you ever wish you could jump into a spy story—running beside (okay, behind) Jason Bourne through a film or untangling conspiracies in a James Rollins novel? Of course, YOU … Continue reading
Counting Favorite Yummy Foods: A Way to Combat Despair
Remember the feeling of Mom ripping the Band-aid off your knee? Or the burning of the yellow soap (betadine) they used in the hospital emergency room to clean your cuts? … Continue reading
On Love and Death: Happy Anniversary to Us!
Thirty-nine years ago (depending on when you read this), my husband and I were officially joined as a married couple—for the good of his children. Neither of us was sure … Continue reading
Oh Crap! It’s Time to Wake Up. Time to Go to Work.
The air is cold. You snuggle beneath the covers, lost in a world of your own, when WHOOSH! Someone yanks your covers off, grabs your arm, and dumps you onto … Continue reading
Knee-Jerk Thinking: Tell Me Quickly; What Do You Choose?
Do you ever look at the world and wish it were simpler? Do you wish it were like computer code—a series of yes or no questions, an easy quiz that … Continue reading
The Decline of the Arts? “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got ‘Til It’s Gone”
I read a study once that said the most reliable predictor of satisfaction a person will have with adult life is the level of involvement that person experienced in high … Continue reading
