Our first Christmas in Charlottesville, and our adult kids and their significant others were celebrating in other places with other people. The morning began with a twinge of melancholy for the exuberance of Christmas past. It would be a quiet day, just the two of us, for the most part. We had no plans other […]
Last month, I almost crashed my car trying to take a picture of a rainbow.* Rainbows are just so startlingly beautiful it’s hard to look away. Even while driving. Then the other day, I read this: Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. Psalm 89:8 I immediately […]
I was awakened very early one spring morning by what sounded like uproarious laughter. Wow, I thought, my husband must have read a hilarious text or email. But so early? I was slightly annoyed at the loud disturbance. This was my day to sleep in.
As his lumbering footsteps quickly ascended the stairs, my heart skipped a beat and my mind warned, “that’s not laughter, that’s sobbing!”
It’s true, the “look of love is in your eyes.” From the lingering gooey gaze signaling the smitten, to the affectionate study of their “person” by a much-loved canine, eye contact conveys, “you are noticed, you are special, you are loved.” But when there is very little eye contact from other human beings, we feel […]
Back in high school, I saw the blockbuster summer thriller, Jaws. I have never been the same. Summer camp on Lake Saranac revealed my irking irrational fear that some crazed person had caught and released a shark into the lake to wreak havoc on us unsuspecting campers. Years later when my new husband and traveled […]
For those still trying to figure out what this rootedandgrowing website is all about, I know this — it is not about me. But it is posted by me. So a little background: Long ago in a far away galaxy, I wore the hat of an art director, which is kind of like a movie director. Continue reading
Tradition. To be honest, I’m not one to stand on it. Turkey at Thanksgiving? Not necessarily. One year I served homemade lasagna — and my family loved it! But some ideas are worth adopting and turning into traditions, lived out year after year, like Noticing Your Necessary People, by Karen Ehman. And some virtues, like the ones noted in this Country Music Award Song of 2016 Continue reading
One evening last summer, I made a special visit to a local furniture store. And a lot more than furniture met my eye. Continue reading
Recently, a friend who has been a “stay-at-home mom” for many years, contemplated attending her college reunion and sought my advice on how to reply to the inevitable query, “What do you do?” At the time, I did not have a good response for her. It’s a question that can produce an awkward pause — especially if your answer […]
Rooted & Growing 