Today is my own personal D-Day. Diagnosis Day. Seventeen years ago, my assault on the enemy began with three words, “You have cancer.” I was sucked into the vortex I call Cancerland without any training for the battle. Storming the beach without any knowledge of what to do if I made it to the shore. … Continue reading D-Day
Combating Summer Boredom
After the last crumb of biscuit was eaten; the last lick of apple jelly was gone; and the last drop of cream and sugar filled coffee was sipped at breakfast; it was time for play. Running to the sideboard cabinet, made by my great grandfather, my sister and I waited for the key. My grandmother, … Continue reading Combating Summer Boredom
Juneteenth
"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive … Continue reading Juneteenth
A Surprise Adventure
I had a surprise adventure on Sunday. Totally unexpected. It started when a pink envelope with my name on it showed up in the mailbox. I was intrigued. Where did it come from? Why just M. Gunnin and no address? How did it get there on a Sunday without mail delivery? Who put it there? … Continue reading A Surprise Adventure
Retirement
They say cleanliness is next to godliness, but I have never believed that statement. My house looks lived in. There are piles of clutter, blankets of dust, and fur tumbleweeds. All those things make my house a home, at least that is what I tell myself. The closets are burgeoning with all the clutter piles … Continue reading Retirement
Freedom
The absence of coercion or constraint in choice or action. Liberation from slavery or the power of another. We all agree freedom is of high value. Maybe the highest. Even if we do not all interpret what freedom looks like in the same way, we recognize the worth of this multi-dimensional noun. It means so … Continue reading Freedom
Will the Whippoorwill
Last weekend, some of our family went on a picnic. We were sitting outside by a river when the story of Will the Whippoorwill came up, as memories sometimes do when families are together. It goes something like this. On top of a mountain, stood a house. In the evening hours the windows stood open … Continue reading Will the Whippoorwill
Lessons from the Clay
I’ve been potting for about a year now and boy, have I learned a lot. I think any new venture comes with a learning curve. Pottery is no exception. The question is: Do I have what it takes to get around the curve? Can I hang in there long enough to get to the place … Continue reading Lessons from the Clay
A Mother’s Words
One of the values of being a writer is that the words can live beyond your lifetime. This is both a scary thought to me and a comforting one. Hopefully, the words I write leave the world a better place because someday they will be all that is left of me. My only mark on … Continue reading A Mother’s Words
I am a Speaker
I never knew I was a writer. Until a newspaper editor put “Michelle Gunnin is a writer.” in my byline for an article I wrote, I had no idea. I put ideas on paper, but in my mind, that didn’t make me a real writer (whatever a real writer looks like). It was just thoughts. … Continue reading I am a Speaker
Michelle's Mosaic 