“That’s my pastor–whoa! What happened to your face?” Yes, what did happen to my face that would bring such a response? A very reasonable response, by the way, considering the circumstances. By late weekend, I was in the throes of a huge allergic reaction and my face had swelled to the size of a basketball. Red, blotchy, very painful and getting worse. I had been in NYC for a son’s wedding (fortunately the worst of this happened after the wedding),... Read more
Overwhelming–I often hear that word and even more often say it when faced with what seem to be impossible tasks. Occasionally I watch a TV show about people who suffer from compulsive hoarding tendencies or who are long neglectful of day to day clean-up. All have reached a point where the clutter or hoarded items become impossible to deal with. Too much. Overwhelming. Unfixable. Yet, I know there is a way through this. This ordinary saying rings in my head... Read more
I have on my desk an invitation to a conference for women to encourage them with the Word of God, the joy of music, and the spirit of friendship. Three very good reasons to get together, no doubt about it. For a multiplicity of reasons, I no longer attend these types of conferences, but I have gone to them before and found them quite enjoyable and often very helpful. Women, often isolated from deep and nurturing friendships by the demands... Read more
A couple of weeks ago when mindlessly surfing the web, I came across a health news article that struck me in several ways. Research suggests that a drug called Truvada may offer nearly complete protection from HIV infections in those who unfailingly take it daily and also rigorously practice other safe sex habits. A medical breakthrough like this is good news. HIV is a nasty disease with world-wide devastating effects. But the good news is tempered by two significant factors.... Read more
I am in Richardson right now, checking on my mother’s house and trying (vainly, mostly) to get caught up on some paperwork. Decided to make a quick grocery run to get something to fix for dinner and passed through a school zone on the way. No activity. Perfectly quiet. No one out. I still slowed down, of course, at the flashing lights, as this was near the end of the school day. On my return trip, school had just let... Read more
On a Facebook post during the week of ice, snow, and enforced time with family, one father wrote that, left unchecked, his sons quickly developed a “Lord of the Flies” mentality. “Lord of the Flies” mentality refers to the book by William Golding, first published in 1954, about a group of British schoolboys who find themselves on an abandoned island with no adult supervision. Although they first try to cooperate, this immature society eventually degenerates to a point where brutality... Read more
Today, and I would guess for several days, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex power users will be subject to rolling blackouts—approximately every two hours, all electricity goes out in selected areas for a minimum of 15 minutes. Some areas have experienced well over an hour before the power comes back on. I personally was expecting this. I’ve been in this area before when lingering cold hit and knew that the system would become overloaded at some point. So far, it’s no... Read more
Why would anyone go to the Super Bowl? It’s wildly expensive, crowded, and will be nearly impossible to get in and out of the parking lot. How much easier to watch it on the ever-present HDTV, with expert camera angles, immediate replays, ability to see the best play in slow motion, and, even better, a way to pause the game for a dash to the bathroom or kitchen! So why go? Because attending a live event adds power to the... Read more
Note: this is an excerpt from An Ordinary Death: Where Grief and Relief Hold Hands, available from Amazon.com. I am just now, after some months away, spending an extended time at The Manor, which is the term my brother, sister and I use to refer to the house my mother designed and my parents lived in for the last 25 years. I came here to savor the quiet, to hear my mother’s voice again, and to write with some extended... Read more
My hard drive crashed last night. I have been on a writing retreat for over a week now. Productive, powerful time. I pulled together the hundreds of articles I’ve written over the years and realized that I’ve written four good books from them. I also spent several days revising and rewriting what is my Magnum Opus, a book called, “An Ordinary Death,” an account of my mother’s decline and death and all I learned from this, both about myself and... Read more
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