I have often read that even if you work from home, you should get dressed every day as if you were going in to the office. How you’re dressed changes your attitude, your attention, and even your voice when you’re talking on the phone. And I know this to be true. A “Decluttering” website I used to subscribe to takes this premise even further, saying you should get dressed all the way to your shoes, which should have lace-up ties or buckles. No slip-ons that [...]
“We take love out into the community.” Of all the statements I heard last Saturday night, that is the one that touched me the most – and has stayed with me ever since. My husband and I were at a Wine and Cheese gathering for new parishioners at our church. We met a number of other new members there, as well as some long-time parishioners. And we chatted with some of the people we see regularly at Mass, but had never officially met before. In [...]
My book club met this week, and when I got home after the meeting, I realized my cell phone was missing. I always keep it in a side pocket of my purse, so I figured it probably fell out in the car. But I searched the entire car, and didn’t find it anywhere. I then dialed the number from our house phone, even though I had turned the sound off on my cell phone so it wouldn’t ring during the meeting. After that, I searched [...]
We were nervous and concerned when we went to bed last Sunday night. Not for ourselves, but for our daughter and son-in-law in Orlando, which was expected to get pounded by Hurricane Irma during the night. On Monday morning, we talked to our daughter, who told us they had a scary and sleepless night, and now had a yard full of tree limbs and other debris, but only minor damage from the storm. And, miraculously, they still had power, while most of the surrounding areas [...]
I can’t remember any other time when something I’ve written in my weekly column or blog became so outdated so quickly.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 throughout the country, we’ve had [...]
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 – although it is – but [...]
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 total solar eclipse is a [...]
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 rest stops and convenience stores [...]
"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 where - which is strange, [...]
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 I saw that the previous [...]