This is the month of Thanksgiving, so I have made my list of Thirty Thankful Thoughts – one for each day of the month. Nothing spectacular or earth-shattering. Just an appreciation for moments in everyday life that I would like to share. I hope you and yours had a wonderful month and Thanksgiving. Thankful for: November 1: Our new grandson and the joy he brings our family. November 2: Family near and far. November 3: My daughter and son-in-law as they celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary. November 4: Sunday afternoons of football and books to read. November 5: The ability to move and exercise. November…
Year: 2018
Autumn in Our Part of the Ozarks
When does Autumn really begin? The unofficial end of summer comes after the Labor Day weekend. We use the pool Labor Day, thinking it will be the last time of the season when in reality we could probably use it several times throughout September. Somehow the appeal is lost and we are ready to move on to Fall. We might be ready, but the bugs are not and the calendar says “No” until September 21. It is now the beginning of November, and yet, I see this around my door late last week. (Will mother nature please tell the walking sticks to die…
What to Read – Nonfiction Recommendations
I taught English for twenty years and read a wide range of books during that time as well as during college. I also spent time rereading books for class. Even though you think you might know a book, it is (or at least was for me) always important to reread (okay, maybe skim if I had been teaching it for several years). After leaving teaching in 2016, I went on a pop fiction spree and read several books of that nature (Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, David Baldacci, etc) for quite a while. Now, though, I hope to return to reading books that have been on…
Daddy – I am Reminded
I wrote the first draft of the following in September 2016, a year after losing Daddy. Obviously, he is on my mind this week as he is every day. I mostly wrote as if speaking to him. Thank you for reading and for indulging me this opportunity to share. There you are, wrapped in blue satin fluff. You are exposed from the waist up, all dapper in your navy blue suit and light blue shirt, and a tie (did you have on a tie?). Your hands are placed one atop the other and rest on the bill of your Chosin Few hat that is…
Meet the Farm Family – Canine Division
Thought I would introduce some of the farm animal family this week – something a little lighter and hopefully it will make you smile. This week, meet our canine division. Canine #1 – Meet Catalina She is nine years old, greying like so many her age, with a kind heart and a shrill bark. She didn’t really even bark her first few years of life. Just “whoofed” a little bit. Now, when she hears the washing machine thump or someone set a glass down on the counter she tears in to her barking spree. In 2009, I saw Catalina’s brother while watching a local tv…