Pulling a Ma
Well, I don’t know about you, but I have gone most of my 66 years without ever purchasing a leek. A leek? What the heck….
Well, I don’t know about you, but I have gone most of my 66 years without ever purchasing a leek. A leek? What the heck….
Back in March, my sweet friend and neighbor Mary Ellen, gifted me this beautiful bromeliad for my birthday. I think that she showed a lot
Wow! I have pulled ideas from several on-line recipes to make the most DELICIOUS avocado lime salad dressing. Here’s how it all went down. When
I am aware that I have often been accused of hyperbole by folks rolling their eyes behind my back. And, actually, I’m ok with that.
My sister Tammy has gotten me in trouble all of my life. Well…trouble of the best kind. She will come up with an idea, and
I went to Beaumont yesterday to get some fabric for a project that I’m doing for the boys (reading pillows and coordinating throws…more on that
I’m an old elementary school teacher and principal, having started every day of my career with what we in the business call “Calendar Time.” Each
Every Saturday night, we have a Family Zoom meeting with our way-grown-up kids. Mack is in Seoul, South Korea, I am here at the beach,
I have always loved cupcakes. A Hostess Twinkie, a raggedy old cupcake iced by a grand kid, a beautiful cupcake from Sprinkles in New York
I took a bit of a break from BLOGGING this past fall and winter, but I had a really good excuse! I got a partial
The infamous Pirates and Petticoats will be performed for the final time at the 6th Annual Jane Long Festival, held the second Saturday in October
Back in February (which now seems a lifetime away) our eldest son, Trae and his sweet wife, Corie joined us in San
I’m an old elementary school teacher and principal, having started every day of my career with what we in the business call “Calendar Time.” Each
*The names have been changed to protect the identity of the children. But, the story is true. So true. The truest thing I’ve ever experienced.
The most precious words to this Grandma are, “Nana, can you make ….” (fill in the blank). Of course, the answer is ALWAYS yes. Jack
When I first got to Seoul a couple of months ago, I was totally overwhelmed with the thought of….well, everything! But, especially trying to figure
We discovered the best restaurant last night…Spanish tapas. A couple of days ago, we took a stroll back in a little hilly neighborhood a few
I know, from decades of living on the edge of grumpiness, that I need a project to keep me off the precipice. With just a
Mack and I are hosting our first dinner party for some new friends here next week, and of course, the menu has to be Tex-Mex.
I got a bonus today when Jack asked me to babysit for a few hours while he and Steph went to a TCU event. The
My summers as a child were often spent visiting our grandparents in the small East Texas town of Lufkin. My sister, Tammy and I loved
A visit to view the cherry blossoms on Jeju Island turned out to be much more than a look at the flora of the island.
I won’t lie. It’s been a rough week. I totally underestimated the emotional impact of leaving my kids and those delicious grand babies. Expatriating has
I think that I was born reading – or pretending to read, anyhow. Both sets of my grandparents came from very humble backgrounds and all
This table has seen some pretty great times in its 42-year history with Mack and me. It was the first “real” piece of furniture that
In the past few years, many of my friends and most of my cousins have begun to have grand children. One of the primary topics
This is the time of year when thoughts turn to gardening. I love watching as the home and garden stores start to display the bounty
The more I know, the more I know that I don’t know! I have just returned from a trip to Italy with three other ladies.
https://www.flipsnack.com/AE5A55A7C6F/kennedy-s-letter.html My sister Kelly sent out a text to many of the women in her life, asking each of us to write a letter in
Back in 2008, I was invited to speak at an Early Childhood conference in Moscow, Russia. I drug my feet in answering the call because
After a delightful time yesterday, reconnecting and visiting and laughing with old teaching pals (who are great teachers), I was reminded of a story from
One month ago today, the world changed for my sisters and me, when Mop died. The word “orphan” seems silly to apply to a 60-something
My very favorite part in my very favorite book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is when Scout goes to first grade and it is discovered by
Even though I’m from Texas, it’s a rare treat to get to ride a horse. My dad was a horse-lover and I’ve loved the IDEA
I love the genre of memoir and find myself drawn to real stories of real people, even above the wonderful fiction that I so enjoy.
I am not a genius, but I am smart enough to know that my involvement with my grandchildren is based on gracious access granted by
We moved back to our “hometown” of Midlothian Texas about 18 months ago – 5 doors down from our grand babies. That wasn’t really the
Almost two years ago, our dear friends from the beach invited us to come along with them on an adventure that Marcel (76 years
Last week, Mack and I took a great road trip down a portion of Old
The role of grandparent is a fascinating one. While grandparents have always been an important part of family life, this generation of grandparents is designing
“True friends are always together in spirit.” (Anne Shirley) Thirty one years ago, I met a true friend. They are hard to come by, but
Daddy’s “good old dog,” Vincent died today. My heart is broken. Vincent had a good,long life. He was a great big pound puppy, who found
In our culture of achieving and acquiring more and more stuff and status and success, helping our children to recognize true abundance is one of
Dear Friends, Last weekend, I experienced one of the most joyful times of my life. We introduced our baby grandson, Coby, to the ocean for
Author’s note: I have recently become a Master Gardener, and as a person who previously could not keep a houseplant alive, I am learning so
Heading out to the Sylvia Beach Book B & B with my sisters and niece last month, I knew that I would need a stack
Gardening incorporates many of the things that little kids love the most. Getting dirty. Playing outside. Using fun, “grown up” tools. And, most especially, spending
I was recently given an assignment in a writing class to write a “tiny love story” (a la New York Times Modern Love). The word
It’s now been a few weeks since I finished Crying in H Mart, but I’m still thinking about it. The mark of a great book,
“There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”Maurice Sendak We left our home of 18 years, on the beach
I just counted it up…40 days and 40 nights. Exactly. That’s how long it was between the time we moved out of our house at
Since moving down the street from the cutest winery, where they feature a wonderful singer each weekend night, we’ve been toddling down the block from
PS…if you are thinking of taking a train trip, sign up on the AMTRAK app. I found out that, several times a year, they have