Her Favorite Song Was “My Way”

In less than six months, I've lost both of my sisters. On July 1, 2022, my sister Shirley passed. And now, my sister Charlotte. Charlotte passed away on November 25, 2022. In the last few weeks, she went from being full of energy and living independently to needing oxygen 24/7 and home health services. Instead…

I’m Running Out of July

I've got only a couple of days before the month of July is over ... to which I say, Good riddance, July! For those of you new to my blog, let me start with the painful acknowledgment of my sister's death late on July 1. For context, I have three siblings and our birth order…

I’m Not Okay But I’ll Be All Right #grief

I am going to take a hiatus from blogging and writing online. Not that I've been doing much of either lately but why not make it official. Here's the deal: my sister Shirley is dying. The sister with Parkinson's. The sister who has been dodging health curveballs most of her adult life. The only one…

Raccoons, Deer, and Love

It’s been so long since our last hike at Big Basin Redwood State Park in California. But it isn’t that last hike that comes to mind; it’s the first one we made one winter. My not-yet-husband Greg and I had been living together for about 18 months when we decided to spend a couple of…

LENS-ARTISTS PHOTO CHALLENGE #159 – POSTCARDS

Almost down to the wire with this week's Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. The lovely Ana has the lead on this week's prompt: Postcards. I would like to encourage you to participate, in any way you want. You can show us some of your pictures that you would send as postcards to someone you love. Or you…

Mind Over Matter: Overcoming Self-Doubt in Those Opening Lines by Anita Gill — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

I'm popping out of my self-imposed bubble long enough to share this essay by Anita Gill in BREVITY. So much of this short essay resonated with me and my perpetual struggle with my inner critic, and, of course, it prompted a comment from me. Please read the essay (and my comment below) and let me…

Country Roads #MondayBlogs #gladtobehome

Ah, yes, I'm back, dear Reader.  Back to my home, my blog, my blogging friends who were (and are) never far from my mind, my furry four-legged friends who I don't think really missed us as much as they missed getting more than two meals a day.  Then again, they might have missed our laps…

Asking for Forgiveness: A Memoir #memoir #MondayBlogs

Yesterday would have been my father's 96th birthday. He died in his sleep in November 1992.  The kind of death anyone would want.  At least at the end, someone (God?) cut him some slack.  You see, he hadn't had an easy life.  Born in poverty.  Never finished high school.  Classified 4-F.  And he couldn't hold…

Too Late for Tomorrow — Response to CSB Writing Prompt

In response to this week's Community Storyboard writing prompt, Tomorrow, I wrote a short story that you can read here.  In the story, the characters are imaginary, but the memories, the places, and the flood are real.  The following pictures are of my childhood home which was damaged in the flood and is now condemned. …

Writing Prompt: Autumn

My contribution to this week's writing prompt--Autumn--at The Community Storyboard. Autumn Memories the air is crisp and seeps through my sweater and a flannel shirt to cool my skin the leaves are bursting into a riot of yellow, gold, orange, magenta, blood red all there is to eat is mulled cider and  pumpkin pie spiced…