What could be more uplifting than an adorable puppy, especially when welcomed during the first week of the lovely month of April? I will add, however, April in Northeast Florida is the equivalent of mid-July in most northern states and can bring sweltering temps in the 90s. I often write about how I believe […]
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Two Old Shoes
I met Eric in early Fall during our senior year of high school, shortly after my folks uprooted me from the heart of the City where I had spent my entire life to that point for the greener pastures of Suburbia. This sudden upheaval disoriented me. Virtually overnight, I was displaced, alone and friendless, living […]
Becoming a Better Partner… to My Home
Yesterday was the 13th anniversary of Lynn and I buying our super sweet, super small, 1950’s “Wonder Years” home. It is in the same neighborhood I grew up in, and a few blocks from my parent’s home, and my elementary and high schools. We bought our home […]
Mourning a Forest
In 2020, my late husband Rich and I purchased a lovely home in a gated community in Southeast Georgia in the quaint and historic city of St. Marys. We weren’t seeking the gated HOA lifestyle, in fact Rich disliked the idea, but we’d found a home with amenities that we’d never be able afford in […]
The flame that burns twice as bright…
I think about this from time to time. “The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.” ― Lao Tzu, Te-Tao Ching In a number of ways, Mario’s flame really did burn twice as bright, and he certainly fulfilled the half as long part by only making it to age 47. One of […]
Croci in the Sun
On Thursday, The First Day of spring arrived and after a harrowing winter season for much of the nation, it presented a much-anticipated seasonal milestone, if only on a calendar page. I reside in Northeast Florida now, however, over much of my lifetime, I lived in New Jersey and spent a great deal of time […]
It is time
Well, my widowed friends, the time has come. Today will be my last day writing for “Widow’s Voice.” No big dramatic lead up to the announcement. No big fan-fare. Much like my husband Don Shepherd’s death 13 years ago, things will change instantly as of today. But nobody has died suddenly, so this instant shift […]
A Husky Tale of Great Distraction
I’m drafting this post as I watch the UCONN-Villanova Big East Tournament game.March Madness has begun. If you are into basketball, you understand the amazing legacy of both the UCONN men’s and women’s teams. March Madness used to drive Rich crazy. He wasn’t a big sports fan and with UCONN typically playing to the bitter […]
No Regret
I try not to have regrets about things, because I really do think that one decision led to another decijsionn, and to a growing opportunity of some kind. And also, even my relationships that were heartbreaking or ended badly – were at one point beautiful and filled with real love. It is not always easy […]
Springing Forward Step By Step
My last two posts have been a little heavy with the sharing of the anniversaries of the passing of my sister and mother. It helps to share their losses, but in doing so, I’m also celebrating and honoring their places in my life and keeping those memories alive for others. With warmer temperatures (even here […]
Unsure
Hello friends. Happy Sunday to everyone! Today Id like to write about where I’m at, mentally and emotionally, at this point in life. I am 53 years old, and I have been married twice. This is something I still have a tough time accepting as reality. I never in a million years saw that being […]
Riding Off into the Sunset
I’m typically highly-sensitive to dates of significance pertaining to family members. I’d always served as the reminder-of-dates, a birthdate savant, advising everyone of someone’s upcoming Big Day. These days, however, I realize that it isn’t birthdates that I’m now good at recalling, but the dates-of-loss. I didn’t realize until this past week that although six […]