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I had been planning this week’s column in my head for quite a while, but then, as often happens, life got in the way. For just over a month now, I have been getting reports on my cousin Jimmy and his health issues. Then, on Friday evening, I learned that Jimmy will never have physical problems again. The text I received informed me that “Jimmy just went home.” James William Ogden was a special soul, loved by oh, so many…..
February is National Hot Breakfast Month. As I sit here trying to decide what to write about, I have the recipes already chosen for this week’s column. My breakfast is over; yes, I did try one of the recipes this morning. Now I need to figure out what else to say. Thinking of breakfast brings to mind a radio program my mother often turned on in the mornings: Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club. My sisters and I loved to listen to…..
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. It is usually billed as a romantic holiday, filled with cards, flowers, and chocolate. This celebration often brings quite a bit of income to retailers who specialize in those areas. For the most part, my late husband didn’t participate in adding to the coffers of stores that sell gifts that appeal to the heart. The Valentine’s day before Bob graduated to Heaven, my “present” was a box of Dulcolax that I needed for a procedure…..
Here we are in February, which happens to be National Canned Food Month. Lots of different edible items are available in cans, and those of us who have gardens often save our produce by canning it in jars. In this case, “can” refers to a container. The word “can” also has another definition. When used as a verb, it means “to be able to.” An example, “I can do this!” Last week, I wrote about a dilemma I was facing. …..
My late husband Bob would often refer to me as a “creature of habit.” He was so right. I can easily get stuck in a routine, and I don’t like it when I have to leave my carefully crafted comfort zone. Most of the drawers in my kitchen are very ordered – we all need a messy junk drawer, don’t we? Although my spice cabinet needs to be reorganized after several searches for lesser-used ingredients, I can usually grab what…..
“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…..