Being Grateful

I married a bona fide farm boy/nature lover. When I met Dave, he was a grad student in the biology department, and he was teaching Botany. He has always planted things. I love that he has planted trees anywhere we have lived and especially that he is…

As winter slowly turns into spring, most people turn their thoughts to warmer weather, flowers in the park and, probably, the birds and the bees. These are all good things to welcome, in my view. But what I really like in the late spring, right up to the summer solstice…

I have spent my 67 years residing in the state of Florida. I have to live with the fact my state is the punch line of late-night talk show jokes more frequently than other states. Our mythical mascot is “Florida Man” whose bizarre real-world antics personify…

When I taught writing, I asked my students to describe their parents by using the five senses. Gosh, does this writing exercise elicit vibrant responses! Here are some words my community college students, who ranged in age from 18 to 60, used to describe…

Superheroes don’t always wear capes. Neither do super heroines. Just after Mother’s Day, my virtual Women’s Circle CAFE group devoted an hour to talking about the heroines who changed our lives. And there wasn’t a cape to be found…

It’s easy to think of May as a month to honor mothers; however, there are those who were born to moms who did not want them, those they were estranged from, or mothers who’ve passed away. For these individuals, Mother’s Day can be a time…

The ability to be thankful for life’s ugliness as much as for what uplifts us is one lesson that I learned from certain characters which came to life via the talented imagination of Larry McMurtry. The author rode into his own Western sunset this past week at 84…

Several years ago, when I was living in Florida, I rented a beautiful condo on the river. The lanai overlooked the water, where I could see boats, kayaks, and all sorts of wildlife. My neighbors told me to watch for the dolphins that come around…

I had a biggish birthday recently. It wasn’t a milestone birthday, but rather – as one of the cards a friend sent me put it – “Somewhere between 29 and ‘none of your business’.” Because we are in lockdown here in the UK…

Did you know that writing gratitude lists boosts your mood and improves happiness? I sometimes forget this in my day-to-day grumblings about hangnails and hay fever, but today, I’ve dusted off my gratitude list. Firstly, I am grateful for my…