Weathering another storm
I can’t remember any other time when something I’ve written in my weekly column or blog became so outdated so quickly. But it was just last week that I wrote, “Hurricane Harvey is the most recent storm to wreak havoc on everyone in and beyond its path.” That’s no longer true. Hurricane Irma, which has already done horrendous damage and is set to hit southern Florida by tonight, now has that dubious distinction. Like many people in the Southeast and [...]
We can all be Harvey’s heroes
Katrina. Sandy. Harvey. I wish I were reading those names from a list of the most popular baby names of the year. But that’s not where they came from, and there’s likely not a person in America today who doesn’t recognize what they are. Hurricane Harvey is the most recent storm to wreak havoc on everyone in and beyond its path. I’m having a difficult time writing about it now, not because it’s such an emotional and heart-wrenching subject – [...]
Solar eclipse brings a total change of heart
For the past few weeks, I’ve had a certain song running through my mind—Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit, Total Eclipse of the Heart. I know I’m not the only one, because I read the other day that this 34-year-old song had a huge jump in popularity as this week’s total solar eclipse captured everyone’s attention and pretty much eclipsed all other news. Which, in my opinion, was a good thing, considering the state of all the other news these days. A [...]
Making good on stolen goods
It wasn’t anything close to a felony. Even as misdemeanors go, it was pretty minor. Still, I didn’t want it forever on my record. Or, even worse, my conscience. My husband and I were returning home from an 800-mile road trip. I bought a cup of coffee at a gas stop along the way, and on my way out of the store, I glanced at a rack of maps and brochures—the kind of promotional and complimentary material found at many [...]
Who IS that???
"I know that person. I can't quite place him, but I know him from somewhere." Has that ever happened to you? You're out and about, and you run into someone who looks very familiar, or that you know you've met - or at least seen before - but you just can't remember when or where. It happened to me last weekend, with a gentleman who was ushering and assisting at Mass. I was sure I knew him from somewhere else, but couldn't figure out [...]
How does your garden grow?
I’ve just joined a Garden Club. That is likely surprising – and humorous – news to many people who know me and know that I do not have a green thumb. About the only thing I’ve ever been able to grow successfully are herbs, most of which thrive on neglect. And they have the added benefit that you can eat them. Although it wasn’t one of our reasons for buying the house we now live in, I was ecstatic when [...]