One of our favorite campgrounds is a small state park along the Oregon Coast. Mario and I happened upon it one day when we went to check out a lighthouse, which happened to be right next to it. We made some good memories in that park, including the singular outing where we happened to get […]
Widowed Memories
As the Seasons Change
A repost as we get into the holiday season! The reality of the seasons changing is hitting me a little differently this year. This past week we took our family photos for the upcoming season and it was the first true holiday photo session I had joined in with the twins since Erik’s passing. It […]
The Twenty-Eighth
Today, September 28, marks the 28th Wedding Anniversary of my late husband, Rich, and I. He would pass weeks later on the 28th of October. This time of year is filled with all those “trippy” memories and images. We’d left our new community and home in Southeast Georgia mid-September 2021 for a family wedding and […]
A Tough Week
I’m late posting, so apologies there. Since my last post, I found out that the pain I’ve been experiencing is from a pinched nerve in my neck. The fancy name is Cervical Radiculopathy. I have to say, on the pain scale, it definitely went over 10 and to date, this has been one of the […]
Camp Widow Serendipity in 2025
… two stories, one in process. … a story from 2023. Two widows, two rocks, two husbands—integrity twice remembered. It was September of 2022 in Denver at the local community college. A widow, finding no […]
Tackling Football
My youngest son was in first grade when his dad passed. In second grade, he started playing flag football. Football quickly became one of his favorite sports. When he was in third grade, he stayed at practice late one evening dreaming up new plays with his coach. I remember him coming home that night and […]
The Things You Let Go Of
I’ve been limping along this week with intense upper back pain, so I’ve had more forced downtime than usual. It’s inadvertently given me a lot of time to think. I actually suspect that some of this may actually be delayed fallout of my dad’s sudden passing. Since that happened, I had to shift into “helper” […]
“Spin and Marty”: A Model of Togetherness for the 21st Century?
Since Labor Day we’ve been on such a rare run of perfect temperatures and splendid weather that the local naysayers have begun whispers that we must be in the throes of drought. Maybe so, however, if you put the matter to a vote today, the continuation of our unseasonably warm and dry conditions wins in […]
Bells Ring Again
It feels like it has been nonstop since summer began. I’m finally starting to catch my breath now that school has started again. The start of school always seems to be emotional for most parents. And I am one of those. Yet it always feels more than just emotions for me. The start of each […]
A Story Unknown
At work last week, I had the opportunity to listen to a variety of speakers as part of a day focused on creative renewal. All the speakers were great. However, I was drawn to one named, Suleika Jaouad. She wasn’t the typical, upbeat creative type I expected from the lineup. Her art flourished from a […]
Restlessness as a Remedy
I think real estate has become my greatest diversion, inspired by the pioneering spirit of my late mother, who passed early this year. Back in the late 1940s, my mom acquired a home in a Hallmark Movie like way, which I will share in the future. Then, in 1977, my mom bought the old neglected […]
Sentimental Things
sen·ti·men·tal /ˌsen(t)əˈmen(t)l/ adjective of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia. I would say I’m a very sentimental person, especially when it comes to things I feel are nostalgic for me. I think one of the great tragedies of life is that while we’re living it, we’re not truly cognizant of how precious […]