As I write this, I’m in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Imelda. If I tell you I live in Beaumont, TX, enough said. I don’t have to look far to find examples of people encouraging one another. In fact, a media personality from outside our region said he couldn’t tell the difference between those who […]
When I worked in children’s ministry, we had a ministry production called Caraway Street, which was very similar to Sesame Street. We had a theme for each “show.” What fun, creating hilarious human characters and unique puppet personalities. It took a lot of work to make the puppets really talk! I love thinking of words […]
Every weekend, my husband and I watch home renovation shows on television. We own a mid-century modern home, and previously owned historic homes — fixer-uppers. We notice a trend with these home shows. The team loves tear-down day. They get carried away with throwing hammers, demo forks, and pry bars. Sometimes they demolish something that […]
August in Texas is notorious for being a scorcher, making flower gardens wilt or worse, die. So you can imagine our delight when we see buds and blossoms blooming! One way I keep a focus on the positive is to capture these beauties with my camera as a reminder that even when life heats up, […]
I love collecting church cookbooks because they have some of the best recipes. I know they include ingredients I have on hand or are easy to find at the store. Some of these recipes are favorites at church fellowships. Some churches call them potlucks, because we’re in luck when we discover what’s in each pot—a […]
When we think of learning, we often think of going to school. I just came from a trip to New York, where the students didn’t get out of school for the summer until the third week of June. And I came back to Texas, where school supplies are already for sale in the stores, so […]
When I was growing up, we kept track of “reaching new heights” by marking our height on the doorframe in the kitchen. When my nephew went to visit Mom every other year or so, they’d mark his height, albeit in different houses from our childhood home. When my husband and I moved into our Midcentury […]
We explored the woods we owned behind the fence of our Kentucky home. Russ cleared out the brush to create various paths. One thing he didn’t weed out was the wild blackberry brambles. During the entire process we eagerly watched the blackberries mature and ripen. First, we saw the blossoms, then the fruit appeared, and […]
The discipline of exercise has impacted me in a big way. It’s exciting to look at my “before” photos to see how far I’ve come in my weight loss efforts. I still have a long way to go! I cherish the time devoted for exercise. I can clear my mind and have “alone” time. It […]
When I was a young girl, I had quite an imagination, and just as many fears. For example, I was convinced there was a monster under my bed. I just knew he had several knives positioned to pierce my sleeping body at any moment. I’m not sure how many times my mom reassured me that […]
