Sitting on my screened porch this morning. I am joined by 27 birdsongs, so far…3 kinds of Warblers, Titmice, 4 kinds of Woodpeckers, Blackbirds, Wrens, Hawks, Crows, Cardinals, Nuthatches, Towhees, Gnatcatchers, Cowbirds, 2 kinds of Sparrows, Vireos, Finches, Blue Jays, Robins, Thrush, Phoebes, Catbirds and Chickadees. I breathe in the cool morning air. Deep into … Continue reading Missing Dad
life
Monet’s Forest
I walked through a painting today...or it felt like it anyway. Spring is one of my favorite seasons because of the greens. There are so many shades; too many to name. Hues and tints begin at the foot of the mountain and work their way up, and it’s not planting time until the trees are … Continue reading Monet’s Forest
Southern Women
Southern women have a reputation. We bring food. Funeral? Food. Wedding? Food. Sickness? Food. Hangnail? Fire? Flood? Stubbed toe? Food. We have been accused of being disingenuous. Hypocritical. Pretentious. But here’s the thing, we keep on bringing food. We were taught how to do this by our mothers and their mothers. Being hospitable is an … Continue reading Southern Women
Getting Out of the Sandbox
As a retired teacher, I remember back when playgrounds for preschool children had sandboxes. I also recall that the sandbox was the place that required the most intervention from me, because it required “getting along with others” more so than the other apparatuses. The arguments usually started over trivial matters. “He took my shovel.” or … Continue reading Getting Out of the Sandbox
Dear Artemis 2 Crew,
I wanted to take a minute to jot you a note of thanks. I cannot tell you what a joy it is to watch you all on your journey around the moon. It takes me back to when I was 5 years old and watching the Apollo missions with my Dad. I remember he was … Continue reading Dear Artemis 2 Crew,
Happy Birthday, Mom
Hi Mom, It’s your birthday. I don’t know how that works in heaven now that you live in a place that is timeless. Do you even know that today was a special date? My guess is that you are blissfully unaware of aging. What a gift! I have to tell you though, I think of … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Mom
Letting the Light In
I have been doing some updates around the house. We’ve been here 26 years; it is time. By letting the light in, I am feeling life again. Opening the blinds in the morning lifts my spirits. Natural light floods all the spaces and the darkness flees. For the past year, gloom has kept the windows … Continue reading Letting the Light In
Spit Baths
January 7, 1973. Atlanta. I was 10. I remember it was cold. I remember hoping for snow. Instead, we got ice. Tons of it. The trees that were left standing were bent in half. Afterwards, it looked like a tornado had come through our area. Clean up took months. Regrowth of trees took years. The … Continue reading Spit Baths
The Door to the Secret Place
I don’t know what to say. Still. You would think this writer’s block would have passed by now. But my words are still catching somewhere between my brain and my fingers. Usually my feelings flow freely onto the page. It is my way to process. Maybe it’s because there is so much to process lately … Continue reading The Door to the Secret Place
Unglued
When I was a little girl we used to go to my Uncle Iman and Aunt Polly’s house on Christmas Eve. It was a whole family affair with lots of people I didn’t know. I only knew I got presents from all of them. I remember a bowl of nuts with a nutcracker, my uncle’s … Continue reading Unglued
Michelle's Mosaic 