I’m a journal writer. I don’t sit and write about every single thing that goes on in my life, but those important days where I am troubled or happy, or sad. I should really call it a prayer journal. I haven’t done it all my life, but through the cloudy days, more than sunshiny days. [...]
Have your surroundings been rearranged on you, taking you away from where you’ve been? Was it a move? A new job? A new circumstance you didn’t ask for? I was asked those same questions and it didn’t take me long to remember a time like that. I was recently widowed and a music teacher in [...]
I don’t hold as much attachment to vehicles as some do, but Helga was different. She was actually the first car I ever purchased by myself. Yes, with my husbands, I sat beside them while they negotiated at the car dealership and got the best deal. I got to have my say about the color [...]
I write a lot about loss. In my case, those losses were in death, but there's a variety of losses. A common one is ill health. I’ve been blessed with excellent health. If I'm in bed out of commission, it's because of an injury, or elective surgery. I read an article written in support of those [...]
We’re approaching a new year in two days. Then it’s 2017. I’m not quite ready to leave 2016 just yet. My tree is still up. The beautiful nativity scenes are gracing shelves and buffet. They are the focal point of our celebration because it isn’t about the gifts, the food, even the tree. It’s about [...]
We’re celebrating us! It’s our third wedding anniversary. We drove east to the far SE corner of Washington state where I spoke to two different women’s groups. After the second talk, we headed 200 miles west, to central Washington to the beautiful town of Leavenworth. We are here, nestled in a lovely, woodsy chalet. We’ve [...]
I enjoy marriage. I really enjoyed being married. My first marriage was by no means perfect. In fact, there were a lot of struggles in those forty years. Especially the first twenty. We found joy. In the latter half of our marriage, Bill and I found a better way to communicate. We climbed mountains, hiked [...]
“I, Shirley, take you, Jim, to be my wedded husband . . .” Saturday, December 7 dawned cold and clear. I drove into the church parking lot in the early morning light. The ground was sprinkled with snow like powdered sugar; the temperature hovered in the low teens. There was no wind; it was a [...]
Marriage is a verb “Have you ever been to the Grotto?” Jim asked as we drove across the I-205 bridge on our way to Ashland. “No, I haven’t,” I admitted, although I’d heard about the sixty-two-acre Catholic shrine and botanical garden in northeast Portland. “I’d love to see it.” The sun was hidden [...]
I’d been corresponding with a man on a matching site. I hoped we might meet one day. Next day, I received a phone call. This guy named Jim asked if we could meet for coffee…… I was a bit late as I drove into the crowded parking lot. Meeting someone for the first time is [...]
