December 4, 1981. The day of the mysterious disappearance. Our 10th anniversary. To the day. John Pennekamp State Park on Key Largo. Where they say the barracuda like flashy jewelry. So they encourage you not to wear any when you snorkle. So we didn’t, instead depositing all shiny objects into the glove compartment of our […]
Remembering Pearl Harbor
I’ve been there. I’ve hung over the rail of the USS Arizona Memorial and watched the oil droplets bubble to the surface. A solemn and vivid reminder of sacrifice. I’ve gazed over the harbor and tried to imagine the attack, the shock, the fear, the confusion, the roar of aircraft, the rat-a-tat-tats, the explosions, the […]
A Trip Down Memory Lane–1971
Dennis and Sandy King married and flew to San Francisco for their honeymoon (12/05-12/13). The Golden Gate Bridge’s lights were out all night due to a power failure (12/14) Richard Nixon was president and Time’s Man of the Year. The last televised cigarette advertisement aired on the Tonight Show.One of the earliest appeared in 1949–the […]
And So It Began
April 1971. Only eighteen months into my nursing career and already burned out in short-staffed critical care. I applied for a job in an OB/GYN office, but the doctors hired another nurse with hospital OB experience. In the meantime a young pharmaceutical sales representative announced his intentions to quit and return to graduate school, […]
The Green Card
In the bottom drawer of a file cabinet, I just discovered a thick folder filled with “poems and inspiration.” I thumbed through it as I searched for examples to use in my message for ladies Bible study. Out fell this green card. It’s signed “Beverly.” My brain strains toward a faint recollection of a women’s […]
Hallelujah!
No matter where you are, what language you speak, what trial you face, He is over all. Hallelujah!
K.M. Weiland: One Word/One Line Interview
I’ve been stalking K.M. Weiland for some time. Hanging out at her website. Dogging her around the blogs. Soaking in life advice and writing wisdom. Admiring her gifts of detail and discipline. Immersing myself in the middle ages in her new book, Behold the Dawn. And she has such a sweet spirit. I want to […]
No Slip Zone
Life can be slippery. Bones can be soft. Slipping and soft don’t go well together. Especially if you are 80 years old. My mom knows this. She glued her seat to a chair for years. First as a medical transcriptionist. Then a secretary, legal transcriptionist, and court recorder. I don’t remember seeing a lot of […]
“Tis a Gift to be Simple
In my quest for simplicity, I’m often drawn back to my battered book (1981) by Richard Foster, Freedom of Simplicity. He talks about the passion to possess and how the pace of our world leaves us feeling fractured and fragmented. Even frantic. I so get that. Although thankfully peace occupies more space in my pocket […]
7 Writing Tips From a 7-Year-Old
Sometimes–no, often–Gracee amazes me with insightful words. Lately she has dispensed writing advice with wisdom beyond second grade. Who needs to attend a writers’ conference when you have a live-in mentor? Here are 7 of her tips. 1. Think of your story as a gift. Put lots of excitement in the box. Make it fun […]
