Live and Learn

     When a writing deadline draws nigh and the old noggin is worn slap out from holiday hoopla, I know it’s time to dip into my file of weird news stories for inspiration.     If nothing else, reading these clippings always elicits a nice shot of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that’s triggered when we… Continue reading Childlike, But Not Childish

     I can remember with crystal clarity all the feelings Christmas Eve evoked when I was a kid. It was the most wonderfully tortuous day of the year.     Although I never yearned for a Red Ryder BB gun like Ralphie in the “Christmas Story,” my wish list was always plenty full and all… Continue reading Come, Let Us Adore Him

     Sadie, my five-year-old granddaughter, recently burst through our door announcing, “Guess what, Gram? I can stay up until EIGHT O’CLOCK now!!!!!”     Her big brown eyes were wide with joy and excitement about reaching this momentous milestone. I was happy for her because I remember what a big deal bedtime was for me… Continue reading Come Be A Child Again

     I can hardly believe that in just a few weeks, we’ll whip out new calendars and 2022 will commence. Should we tighten our seatbelts and prepare for this rocky ride to continue, or might we finally get off this roller coaster of fear, oppression, lawlessness, outrage, and division?     In many ways, 2020… Continue reading Write Your Own Headline

     If we are, as many folks suspect, being spied on through our smartphones and electronic devices, the eavesdropper assigned to me, human or AI (artificial intelligence), is probably bored out of his, her or its gourd and begging for a transfer. Unless, of course, they enjoy hearing about Jesus, my family, other peoples’… Continue reading God Sees… And That’s Good

    After visiting me the other day, my friend Heidi went home and discovered a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) had been detonated in her house. And that WMD has a name: Worf, Heidi’s thoroughly neurotic dog.     While my friend was watching football games at our house, Worf had actually escaped the laundry room… Continue reading Restless Hearts can be Destructive

   There are people who love the sound of their own voice. I can now say with some degree of confidence that I am not one of them.    I don’t have a classic, lilting Southern accent, despite having lived in the South for more than 40 years now, nor do I have the pleasantly bland… Continue reading We are Weak, but He is Strong

    I recently read an article that says the loudest human snoring registers around 111 decibels, the same noise level as a jackhammer.    That doesn’t surprise me because I happen to be married to a very lovable “jackhammer.” Okay, maybe my husband’s snoring doesn’t quite reach the 111-decibel mark, but Joe’s honks, snorts and… Continue reading Be Careful What You Chew On

    She smiles and says she’s fallen and ended up with a big knot on her forehead so many times, the other residents in her assisted living community call her “the unicorn.” We’ve thought she might graduate from this life to the next on a few occasions, but Lord willing, my amazing and resilient… Continue reading A Visit With My Favorite Unicorn

    Although some students have been in class for weeks now, the end of August still feels like back-to-school time and reminds me how excited I used to be when a new school year meant a brand new box of Crayola crayons and a new pair of Red Ball Jet tennis shoes — the… Continue reading Mocking God is a Very Bad Idea