Each one of us has lived through historical events. Some flow on by without making an impact. Others shape us. Some “events” don’t have a specific date – but the time is remembered. The Cold War, for example. Fear seemed to reign. In grade and high school, we had “duck-and-cover” drills to “prepare for” nuclear attack by the Russians. As if hiding under your desk would help you survive a nuclear blast. Even kids knew you … Read more
I tend to collect interesting tidbits of information from our newspaper, a magazine, or something in conversation that I can’t wait to look up and confirm. Here are some examples: Baby brain facts: babies can hear at 24 weeks into pregnancy, and from then on are hard wired for relationship. Our babies recognized our voices. Rick used to read to them when they were nestled in the womb. I talked to them all the time, rubbing … Read more
by guest blogger Barney Cargile Slowly removing the container from his personal preference kit, Buzz Aldrin examined the elements in his hand. Sitting next to him, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong had earlier uttered the historic words, “The Eagle has landed,” as the space module caressed the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Those were the first words spoken from the moon, and now Aldrin was preparing to consume the first “food” on a celestial body … Read more
Summer is a wonderful time for reading. Rick sits in a mesh-bottomed inner tube and floats in the pool, book in hand. I read in the living room, with a CD playing ocean waves or burbling streams or bird song. Rick and I both love to read, and we have different tastes. He likes heavy history texts and political and military thrillers. My reading tastes are more difficult to describe. I just finished Where the Crawdads … Read more
I collect quotes. I have notebooks full of them. Some are from ordinary people, others from famous personages. I never know when I’ll run across a gem, so I carry a note pad in my purse. Not long ago I happened on a small book of quotes by Winston Churchill. Here are a few of my favorites: “Nourish your hopes, but do not overlook realities.” “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage … Read more
Rick and I sat in pjs on Sunday, reminiscing about our dads and giving thanks for them. Rick’s father, William Richard Rivers, weathered many storms. Passed from relative to relative, he and his three brothers worked fields while their father, a merchant marine, was out to sea. When the Depression hit, and all his savings disappeared along with his hopes for a college education, Dad rode the rails to California. Everything except the pants he wore … Read more
Rick and I knew when we purchased our home that we were in the flight path for the local airport. It’s a small airport and less than a dozen flights a day, not all of which fly overhead. Aviation is in my husband’s blood. He ran his own aviation business for twenty-five years before retiring. So, we were delighted to be in the flight path. We enjoy watching small private planes as well as jets fly … Read more
Our local newspaper is running articles about states passing “draconian anti-abortion laws” – pushing the panic button that women will have no rights, their bodies “kidnapped”. Seventy high school students cut classes and marched to the town square to raise their signs. PRO F****** CHOICE. NO FORCED BIRTH. TRUST WOMEN. This morning the editorial section filled half a page with “Antiabortion Laws Let Father Off the Hook” in which the writer refers to men as “impregnators”. … Read more
While taking time off from writing, Rick tapped me for teaching our Tuesday evening Bible study. He’s always concentrated on books of the Bible, starting from chapter one, verse one and going straight through with historical context, what the scriptures say and how they apply to our lives. While I love that kind of inductive study, I chose a different direction: people. One of the book ideas I’ve had for a long time would center on … Read more
My mom passed away twenty-five years ago, but there are still times when I almost reach for the phone to call and tell her something. I used to feel a punch in the stomach when that happened, knowing there would be no answer on the other end of the line. Now, I just send up a message. “Oh, Mom, you would love this…” The time I had with her while she was here on this planet … Read more