Rick and I returned a few weeks ago from three weeks in Europe, two in France traveling by boat up the Rhone River, by bus to Paris and then another boat on the Seine. The land through which my grandmother traveled is much like Sonoma County, California where we live – though California lacks the …
We all have our favorite places in the world. Home is number one. Whenever Rick and I travel, we love seeing new places and meeting new people. But within two to three weeks, we’re hankering for home, missing our own bed, living room, kitchen – and, of course, family. Then, within a few weeks, we’re …
I ran into this problem when Rick’s birthday rolled around this year. After 40 years together, I couldn’t think of one thing he wanted or needed. When I asked him what he would like for his birthday, he shrugged. Neither of us needs more “stuff”. He reads several books a week. So who is to …
I’ve been thinking about all the pets I’ve had over the years – dogs and cats. They become a part of the family. We’ll have quite a menagerie when we get to Heaven. The first family dog I remember is Dusty, a female German Shepherd who rode herd on me when I was preschool age. …
Hauntingly beautiful, Her Daughter’s Dream explores the bonds of love between four generations of mothers and daughters. Francine Rivers holds nothing back in often fragile, always emotional, and sometimes explosive relationships between Marta, Hildemara, Carolyn, and Dawn. Decisions are based on past hurts, and emotional scars separate mother and daughter. Peeling back the emotional layers …
After five weeks of missing Shabah, we gave in and bought another German Shepherd. Sergeant Fur-face Rivers, “Sarge”, is now asleep under my desk, worn out from his first obedience and socialization class at the local university campus. I am just beginning to realize what a job is ahead of me if I want …
My mother was frugal. She seldom bought clothes for herself. She spent most of her life in a nurse’s uniform. The minute she got home, she headed for the shower. Tossing her uniform into the washing machine, she changed into “work clothes” — inexpensive paint-stained polyester pants and shirts she made herself. She had one …
A few weeks ago, our local newspaper ran several pages of summer programs for children. Some are daily “camps” filled with activities and run all summer. Others are enrichment programs that teach everything from archery to zoology. Times haven’t changed. Working parents need safe “holding stations” for their children, like Marta in Her Mother’s Hope …
One grand benefit to having parents who build their own home is left-over materials. Dad gave us permission to use whatever was in the scrap pile, and use it we did. My brother took over the old chicken hutches, cleaned and reconstructed them into a hide-out with a ladder that could be pulled up to …
My mom and dad built their home from the foundation up, literally. I remember when they broke ground and laid out the lines, poured concrete and put up the walls. I still love the smell of sawdust. The scent sends me back to happy childhood memories. Both of my parents worked. Dad was a policeman …