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Too Precious to Lose

As a child, I never sang contemporary music in church. There was no such thing in those days. No, I’m more familiar with altars, candles, and organ music on Sunday mornings. “Smells and bells,” describes those traditional church services where incense wafts through...

Verisimilitude and Other Challenges

Writing has some unique challenges for the aspiring scribe. Not getting sued first comes to mind, but there are others. Somehow, we must spin a yarn in such a way that you, the reader, buy into our story. It must have verisimilitude, or at least the sense of...

Thank you, Rosalynn Carter

Presidents and First Ladies come and go. After their terms of office, some retire quietly while others engage in projects near to their hearts. But I don’t think any ex-presidential duo did more for the average American than Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Between Habitat...

Preaching Without Words

You can say one thing about my church. The pastors are braver than most, and think waaaay outside the box when it comes to making a point. Lamb of God It was a regular Sunday, and once in our pew, I looked at the altar. Rising from the center, against the wall, rises...

Homely

I like the word “homely.” My dictionary says “homely” means not attractive or good looking. Yet it’s the secondary definition that appeals to me: simple or unpretentious; plain, and finally, characteristic of the home. People value perfection and unblemished beauty,...

Hidden Grace

It begins with a kiss. In late September, early October, I notice a leaf here and there, changing from green to a hint of red. I could easily miss that subtle kiss of death, but I love fall, even the overcast days. (Endless sunny summer days make me think of a fool...

Nearer My God to Thee

  A conversation with my friend this morning inspired today’s blog. Life has its stages, and we Baby Boomers are challenging this one like we challenged each one before. For good or bad, we insist on aging our way, with humor and as independently as possible....

Love Your Favorite Food

As many of you know, Dr. William Li appears frequently in my Body and Soul blogs. Not only a practicing physician, he is also a brilliant researcher of all things food related. I like him because he has a balanced approach to health and wellness. He will prescribe...

Denouement

I thought I would offer you a quick read today. This is an example of flash fiction, where an entire story is told in a few paragraphs. This is a photo of the remains of a real, once elegant, 19th century hotel. It was my inspiration for Denouement. The grand old gal...

Idioms and Other Literary Musings

The English language is full of idioms, where at one time a phrase meant one thing, but over the years the meaning changed. Sometimes we writers avoid these over-used idioms because we see them as cliches. An editor once accepted my short story for publication but...