Recently a friend commented that my blog posts are syrupy sweet. I don’t disagree with her assessment, but believe me, I am no Polly Anna (for my younger readers, Google it). I do not view the world through rose-colored glasses. Don’t get me wrong; I am not a cynic. I am not a glass half empty. What…
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Peppermint Love
I have, regrettably, come to accept that I am a sexist … a recovering sexist. I have been guilty of stereotyping, especially, men without realizing it. My mom is now in a long-term nursing care facility. It has been difficult watching Alzheimer’s rob Mom not only of her independence, and memories, but also her personality. It has been…
Love is in the Details
“I love you.” How often do we say this? There are those who exclaim it without internalizing the depth and meaning, after all, we are a society that loves everything. “I love those shoes.” “I love going to the beach.” “I love Whataburger’s honey butter chicken sandwich.” (Okay, I truly do love the honey butter chicken sandwich)….
Orange Burst of Love
It was hot. Texas. August. Hot. I loaded my groceries into the car and returned my shopping cart, a simple, but mindful act. During a training session, years ago, the speaker (my friend, Cindy) reminded us that a person of character returns the cart. This task never fails to bring her to mind or the obligation that I must…
Lost
In first grade, my son Drew became lost at school. He had attended kindergarten at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church. The move from a one-classroom kindergarten to an elementary with more than 400 kids was overwhelming and intimidating. In the mornings, at Southside Elementary, the students gathered in the cafeteria. Each teacher met their students and escorted…
Wakes and Butt-loads
Words. I love words. I love how they feel in my mouth, their resonances. I love the imagery, rhythms, and the cadences created when paired with the perfect partners. I love how two words can share the same meaning, but not the same timbre. And don’t get me started on the historical aspect of words. Doctora Jimenez, my college Spanish profesora,…
Bags and Sags
I posted this story a couple of years ago on FB, but was recently reminded of the experience while shopping. Over the last six months I have changed my eating habits, trying to break decades of bad habits. I have never made it more than a week on a diet, but this time my focus is about…
Giraffes, Dentures, & Coke-Floats
Cruising Sonic with my friends was once a favorite pastime. I was 16, had a newly awarded driver’s license, and enjoyed the long desired independence coveted by every teen. When you live in a small town, you have few options for entertainment. At Sonic, you could see and be seen by every other teen cruising, and as a…
Nail Salon America
There are limited places that are truly integrated, especially in Small Town, Texas. We self-segregate (for a multitude of reasons) our churches, grocery stores, hair salons, entertainment venues, social groups, and even our funeral homes, but not the nail salon. It is the proverbial women’s melting pot, the best of America, staffed by limited English speaking Vietnamese immigrants…
Chickie & Big Daddy
I met my first heartthrob, Richard Thurber, in kindergarten. It was January, nineteen sixty something, and Richard was beautiful. We had just moved to Katy, Texas. Being the youngest of four, my mom took me, in tow, as she registered my three older siblings for school. Mom was a pro at the process; she repeated it numerous times every…
