Many times, you don’t miss something until it’s gone.  I cannot tell you the number of things that grated on my nerves pre-COVID-19.  My life was full of activity.  The time that I did have at home during the week was not really time to relax from my day.  Most often, I would be preparing for the next day or finishing any of the number of tasks that adulthood requires.  And I was so tired. COVID-19 given me the opportunity to spend more time in the home that I work hard to maintain.  And I’m grateful for that.  Listen, I have had to find joy in anything that I can…

Pictures capture moments in life that could otherwise be forgotten.  They are precious snapshots.  I’m particularly drawn to the picture of Bible Study Brother and I asleep in the same bed.  We’re snuggled in the bed underneath a quilt that was probably sewn by our great grandmother.  This photo had to be taken circa 1988.  In the days before every camera was a phone, you had to use a camera that was loaded with film.  You looked through the viewfinder to frame the perfect shot, and you weren’t sure of what you had until the pictures came back.  We had to wait for them to be developed.  A one hour…

My mom tells a story about younger me that is so different from the woman that I am today.  I was raised in the country.  Mice were part of our life.  They were in the shadows scampering around.  So, we had mouse traps.  Not the humane traps of modern days.  The traps that snapped when a mouse was in them.  They were loud but effective. The story she tells involves one of these traps.  At around the age of four or five, I spoke my mind freely.  I had not yet acquired the skill of keeping my thoughts to myself.  I was not the type to filter my words.  I…

My grandma has a green thumb.  Well, I think she does.  Over the years, I have seen her plant vegetables and flowers, and they all flourish.  She’ll tell me the name of her flowers, and I’ll promptly forget.  But I love to see them in full bloom. When I became a homeowner, creating a floral oasis in front of my home was high on my agenda.  I recruited Bible Study Mama and Bible Study Brother to get this project off the ground.  We ripped out those boring old bushes that were lined up in front of the house, rented a machine to till the soil, and got to work.  Really…

Ladies and gentlemen, you’re in for a treat. I’ve been toiling over this book while I’m on forced sabbatical (COVID-19 shutdown). Some days are great. I feel the urge to write and pour my heart out. Other days, I stare at this computer and watch time pass on. Day transitions to night, and I haven’t written anything that feels like it’s worth something. In my toiling, I’ve decided to share the original introduction to the book. As the book has progressed this introduction just doesn’t fit anymore. But this is my public diary. So, I’m going to share it with you. You’ll know how I felt at the beginning of…

Remember being a kid and playing outside?  I feel bad for many kids today, because in some ways, they’ve been robbed of the opportunity to be creative.  Technology creates fancy worlds for them.  They don’t have to really stretch their minds and use their imaginations.  They let people that create code define their fantasies. Of course, it would be wrong for me to paint an entire generation with the same brush.  I despise it when people lump me into a category, so I won’t do that to them.  Many kids today love outside play and use their imaginations to the fullest.  Technology is not an enemy. It has helped advance…

I’m a firm believer in making a statement.  You can see that when you walk into my home.  My décor is simple, but I have chandeliers EVERYWHERE!  They’re all small, but they bling and provide just the special touch that I want.  You can see it when I use my liquid eyeliner.  Cat eyes anyone?  But my love for making a statement was most recently reflected in the circle of people that surround me.  I’m talking about my community. People say that birds of a feather flock together.  I have found that to be true quite often, but it’s not always the case.  When I think of how kind my…

I spent many of my summers in St. Louis with my grandma.  I got quality time with grandma, and let’s be real, she was free childcare for my parents.  Although we traveled to St. Louis every summer until my grandmother moved back to Arkansas, that was not the extent of our summer expeditions. My grandma would take us on grand adventures while we were in St. Louis.  Bible Study Brother and I enjoyed going to the store, Ventures.  The outside of the building had large black and white stripes.  I would be thrilled to see those stripes.  I loved any shopping expedition and Bible Study Brother was determined to procure…