One of my favorite annual events was this week – the Perseid Meteor Shower, which shows up every August. And, as always, I set my alarm for the wee hours of the morning in order to watch for the shooting stars it always brings. A bright, full moon made it difficult to see much of anything earlier in the evening, so prime viewing time was much later – closer to the next morning than the night before. For two nights in a row, I got [...]
It was a great birthday. It was a great party. My husband’s Aunt Vera turned 100 last week, and we were among the family members who traveled to Chicago to help her celebrate. Her two surviving siblings were there, and many of her nieces and nephews, some who came from as far away as California, West Virginia, and Texas. And, of course, Georgia. “Is it a surprise party?” a number of people asked when I told them why I was going out of town. My [...]
I was digging through my files the other day, looking for something I wrote a long time ago. Before I found it, I came across something else from long ago that I thought I’d share with you today, since it seems even more relevant and appropriate now than when I first wrote it. It was first published in the Chanhassen Villager on December 2, 2004, and reprinted in 2016 in my book, Find Your Buried Treasure—Nuggets Mined from Everyday Life. I hope it gives you [...]
It was a perfect night for stargazing. The heat and humidity of the day had dissipated, and the sky was clear and bright. We weren’t scheduled for one of the major astronomical events that occur regularly, like the Perseid or Leonid meteor showers, or for a once-in-a-lifetime event like a super-blood-red-total-lunar-eclipse-moon. But when our neighbors invited a group of us over to enjoy the night sky and each other’s company, we were all in. “Bring your binoculars,” they said. It was still light out when [...]
A week after the all-day event celebrating her 75th birthday, I still have Alice Walker Fever. I’m sure one of the reasons is that our local newspaper this week was filled with stories and photos from the day, giving me a chance to relive it and to read about some of the activities I missed. Also, after writing about Alice and the celebration in my last blog post, a number of people have been emailing me to say they were at the event and that [...]
Warm. Gracious. Humble. These are the first words I thought of to describe Alice Walker when I met her on Friday. We were at the Georgia Writers Museum, where several events would be taking place on Saturday as part of an all-day celebration in honor of her 75th birthday. As she walked in, she smiled, extended her hand, and said, “Hi. I’m Alice.” I was able to restrain myself to keep from blurting out, “Yes! Yes you are!” Instead I simply smiled back, shook her [...]
With a nephew who joined the Army and just left for boot camp, the 4th of July takes on a renewed significance for me – just as it did fifteen years ago when my son joined the Marines, leaving for basic training shortly after his high school graduation. Amidst all the 4th of July picnics and parades, the flags and the fireworks, I try never to lose focus of what the holiday is really about. And the fight for our independence – that took place [...]
It was a long day, but a wonderful day. I spent most of the morning, afternoon, and evening at the Georgia Writers Museum on Thursday. Over the course of the day, I spent time reading, reflecting, and studying. I also spent some time cleaning, organizing, and setting out refreshments. I took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, met some new people, and got to know others a little better. I was both exhausted and energized by the end of the day. Volunteer activities always make me [...]
It was my husband’s turn to host a group of guys from our neighborhood who meet for coffee once a week. When the gathering is at our house, I help get things set up in the morning, then head out for a few hours to myself away from home. Sometimes I go to the health club. Other times I run a few errands or do a little shopping. But this week I decided to go somewhere where I could just grab a cup of coffee [...]
We’re almost halfway through the year, which makes this a good time for a much-needed reset and jump start on a project of mine – my still-active New Year’s Resolution. This year, my resolution was to come up with a monthly theme, such as “Decluttering” or “Health Habits,” and then do weekly tasks or projects related to the theme. It’s gone well, for the most part, but I’ve fallen a bit behind lately. Part of the reason, of course, was being out of town recently [...]