The phrase “Use your noodle!” is another way of saying, “make use of your intelligence!” My parents instilled in me the idea that there are many ways to get things accomplished. Sometimes all it takes is a little brainpower. Both Dad and Mom were experts at solving “how-am-I-going-to-do-this” problems. Their methods may have been unconventional; however, they usually worked – at least temporarily. My late husband was another great problem solver, and the two of us worked together on many…..
“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. …..
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…..
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…..
Spring is the season of new life. Now that the weather is finally warming up, the world around me is awakening from its long winter’s sleep. I love listening to the birds singing in the pre-dawn darkness. Later in the day, I watch them as they gather bits of dried grass to use for their nest-building projects. They seem to find joy in living, and their cheerful melodies fill my heart with the worship of the One who created them…..
Use your noodles! I will be forever grateful that my parents, especially my dad, taught me how to think for myself. If I asked for help solving a problem, Dad didn’t necessarily spout out the solution. He often guided me along the path of figuring out the answer on my own. To him, my head was for something more than to fill the space between my shoulders. Dad trained me in the art of “using my noodle.” Bob (my late…..
On the eve of Thanksgiving Day, many refrigerators are bulging with items-in-waiting. Pies are either baking in the oven or set out for cooling. A turkey might be thawing in the fridge, or if someone is like me and forgot to take it out of the freezer soon enough, it might be in a basin of cold water (which is changed frequently) to hurry the procedure. Kitchens are busy places on the day before this holiday. Now let’s fast-forward a…..
When searching for inspiration to help me write “Cooks’ Corner,” I often check out a list of National (Fill-in-the-Blank) Months. August is National Peach Month, so this week’s column is dedicated to that luscious fruit. There is nothing like biting into a ripe, fuzzy-skinned peach and having juice run down my chin. Sitting here thinking about it is making my mouth water. Past summers were filled with a whole lot more canning and freezing that what I do now, as…..
It happened again. My grief game of Chutes and Ladders found me in a decent position. Lately, I had managed to avoid several chutes, even climbing a few ladders. Oh, I landed on some small slides now and again, but I soon worked my way past them. Then, unexpectedly, I arrived at the big one; the chute that drops almost all the way down to the bottom. May has been difficult for me the past few years as it holds…..
As I prepared to write this column, there was a song lyric floating around in my head. It is a line from a Christmas song, “Deck the Halls,” and it goes like this: “Fast away the old year passes…” I have to ask the question, “Where did 2107 go?” I can ask all I want, but 2017 will soon be history. For me, some of the memorable events were a thyroid surgery, reconnecting with friends from the past, struggling through…..