Wherein You Scare Facebook Half to Death
This was the post: Today was a mix of heart-wrenching and bliss, fear and victory. The full gamut of emotion. Life. Real, true, honest life. I don't think, when it's all said and done, I'd have it any other way." The reaction was a flood of concerned private messages and texts, many within seconds of posting. I have to say that I felt extraordinarily loved, and while I'm truly grateful for that, and for the blessing of wonderfully caring friends and family, I'm also struck by how deeply we recoil at the two words that are culprits in this scenario. Heart-wrenching. Fear. We run from them like the plague, but they are a very real part of everyday life. The thing is, we just don't...
Good Things Come
8:00am to Noon. That's what they told me when I booked a repairman to check the ice maker and my washer. At 11:45, I received a call from the repairman, asking a couple of questions about each appliance, then telling me he'd be at my house sometime between 2:30pm and 4:00pm. Huh? By the time he left, I'd spent almost an entire work day waiting on him. But you know what? Instead of trying to blame our ice maker problem on the fact that we're on well water (like the phone person who finally dispatched him), he surprised me by saying, I don't think that's the problem, at all. I think you have a bad ice maker and I'm going to replace the whole thing. And your washer? Turns out the...
I Hear the Train a Comin’
Last week, my friend Mary, told me about a writer's residency program that Amtrak was offering. She knew the very idea of a sleeper car, fitted with a writing desk and window to watch the world go by for inspiration, would make my heart sing, because she's been on a train with me. Yes, she was there when we both fell hard and fast for travel on the rails. Almost exactly two years ago (has it really been that long?), Mary and I set out on the Great Girlfriend Adventure, a two-week, zany, madcap, roadtrip down historic Old Route 66. It was the stuff of dreams, truly one of the most fun times I've ever had. We hit all the iconic stops along the way and met some really interesting...
His Words
Every Sunday around here is for His words instead of mine. Just in case you need a reminder of how intimately involved God is in your life, specifically, read this (possibly in a way you've never read it before): God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can’t take it all...
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
A couple of days ago, I was setting out to make dinner. I gathered all my stuff, which included the ingredients for a really nice salad, and, at the last minute, decided I would add some chicken. I pulled out my cast iron skillet, and a couple of chicken tenderloins, seasoned them, and added a little olive oil to the pan. Then, just as I was turning the stove on to medium-low to heat the oil, Lilli called. We chatted for a few minutes about her day, and she showed me some of her toys, then "carried me" downstairs to sit with her on the "big comfy couch." They got a new sofa when they moved, and she L O V E S it. Then, after she got settled in, she asked to see my play horses, so I...