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“You need to learn to share.” How many times did I hear that as a child? How many times did I say it to my children? I couldn’t even begin to tell you. I have also uttered that phrase on countless occasions when I have been in charge of children, whether I was either teaching them or babysitting. This week I am going to write about sharing. There are some things I don’t want people to share with me. Colds. …..
If I could choose what I really wanted to be doing today, it would be baking a birthday cake for my husband. Sometimes he would pick the kind he wanted; at other times, he would tell me to surprise him. When asked, that is what he said eight years ago, “Surprise me.” Little did I realize my selection would be the last birthday cake I ever made for him. Thankfully, he was delighted with the caramel cream cake I prepared,…..
One thing I learned early in life is that it is a blessing to have good neighbors. My childhood was spent in a suburb of Knoxville, Tennessee. Known as “Fountain City,” it was annexed by the larger municipality during my early elementary school years. My family resided in a fairly stable neighborhood. For the most part, there was not a lot of turnover. Our house was located on the corner of Balsam Drive and Pine View. Across the street from…..
Even though my last column was published the day after Christmas, I wrote it before the holiday. Now that our celebration is over, I can relate details of how I spent my time with family. There was a splendid sunrise on Christmas morning. If it had not been for my busy schedule, I would have been outside snapping pictures. (I did take a couple of photos of the gorgeous sunset on Christmas Eve.) I drove to my son Jonathan’s house…..
The day after. Have you ever thought about what it is like to be the morning following a highly-anticipated holiday? The celebration that we eagerly awaited is now past tense. The presents are unwrapped, the stockings no longer bulge with goodies, and the expectations we held are either met, exceeded, or unmet. There are those folk who bask in the warm glow of memories of a well-enjoyed time while others struggle with disappointment. Truth be told, many of us experience…..
I think I have been way too busy lately. When I haven’t been going somewhere, I have been preparing to go somewhere. (We won’t talk about the morning I spent in the dentist’s office getting crowns on a couple of teeth.) I readied a craft project for a group of ladies to put together this past Saturday, plus baked cookies for the same event. Part of my schedule involved trying new cookie recipes to include in this column. I picked…..
Through the years, I have witnessed many reactions when I inform people that I am allergic to chocolate. I would say that the most common one is horror, followed by pity. If I had a dollar for every time someone remarked, “You poor thing!” I would be a rich woman. A few people wish they had an allergy to chocolate so they would stop eating it. Once in a great while, I run across another “poor thing” that cannot eat…..
The last month of 2019 has arrived. Along with December comes the busy-ness of the Christmas season. Shopping for presents – gifts for those we hold dear, and gifts for those who may be not-so-dear. Holiday music fills the stores, is tuned in on the radio, and reverberates from the rafters of church buildings across the land. As we listen to the timely melodies, we notice different themes. Some songs remind us that we are honoring the birth of Jesus. …..
Another holiday is coming up, and sometimes I find it hard to face the idea that there will be someone missing at my Thanksgiving table. I remember the first meal my family had together after my husband graduated to Heaven. Things got quiet when we bowed our heads for the blessing of our food, but this time the silence wasn’t broken by the voice that usually offered our prayer. I am not sure who stepped into the void; the main…..
Sandwiched between all the hoopla of Halloween and the Christmas hubbub is the holiday we call Thanksgiving. In years gone by, this day seemed to have a lot more meaning than it does currently. Halloween was less of a production, and Christmas lights didn’t show up until December. Stores were closed on Thanksgiving instead of vying with other vendors for pre-Black Friday sales. We appear to have forgotten the purpose of a time that was supposed to be set aside…..