Embracing the Unknown: Navigating the Winter of Life, One Day at a Time The winter of life. It sounds a bit daunting, doesn’t it? At 84, I won’t pretend otherwise. I am in the latter chapters of my life’s book, and the future holds more uncertainty than it once did. But I have made a … Read more
Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager, tells the story of a little boy who desperately wanted to beat his grandmother at Monopoly. He studied. He practiced. He learned. Until one day he finally won and announced it proudly: “I beat you.” She smiled, gathered up the pieces, and put them back in the … Read more
Finding Joy in the Ordinary This morning I sat outside in my swing with a cup of coffee, watching the trees sway in the breeze, their brilliant green splashed against the brightest blue sky I’ve seen anywhere. A gentle cloud floated by. The birds competed for who could make the most beautiful song, their concert … Read more
There comes a time in life when you realize you’ve probably lived more years than you have left. It’s not a gloomy thought. At least it isn’t for me. It’s simply an acknowledgment of where I am on life’s journey. When we were young, life felt endless. We had all the time in the world. … Read more
Experiencing the Magic Somewhere along the way, many of us started believing that magic only happens in big moments. We think it lives in extravagant vacations, surprise parties, grand romantic gestures, or life-changing events that look beautiful on social media. We wait for something huge to happen before we allow ourselves to feel joy, wonder, … Read more
Navigating the Unknown One Day at a Time with Humor and Heart This is one of my more personal reflections — a warm, humorous look at aging, purpose, and embracing the unknown. It’s not my formal biography, but it is a true glimpse into how I see this season of life. Ah, the winter of … Read more
As I sat down in my chair on the patio and watched the ingredients in the bowl on my breakfast tray change from white to yellow, memories started flooding back. I had not eaten a bowl of grits with an egg for years. That is not until this morning. In fact, even the thought of … Read more
The Town That Became Home: A Love Story with Route 66 and Flagstaff It was early March 1961. After spending the first five months of our married life in Washington DC, Ron had finished his military tour of duty and we were on our way home to California. For me it meant a new life … Read more
“I hope in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you’re making mistakes, you’re trying new things, pushing yourself, changing yourself and your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before.” Neil Gaiman Every morning when I wake up, I consider it a gift — a fresh start, a chance to pick myself up, … Read more
Celebrating 84 Years of Living and Learning It’s Taken Me 84 Years to Learn All This — And I Still Have a Ways to Go Eighty-four years ago on a Sunday morning in mid-September, my mother gave birth to me at the Pensacola Maternity Hospital in Florida. A lot has happened along the way. I’ve … Read more
There are times when something makes you think of your own mortality. One of these times was when I read the other day that Steve Jobs died at age 56 but he lived life to the fullest. This isn’t the first time that I’ve been reminded that something makes you stop and think about your … Read more
Share Those Memories Before They Are Gone They will disappear with you! My mother made my dresses from chicken feed sacks. Not because she was creative — though she was — but because there was nothing else. Money was tight and the feed companies printed their sacks with cheerful patterns specifically for that purpose. When … Read more