Growing up the only time we “grilled” was on the big summer holidays; Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Occasionally, there were Saturday night steak dinners. I remember us having the standard charcoal grill back in the sixties to the...
Roadblock to True Achievement “We have to get the students caught up.” “We are so far behind.” “We have to test to make sure the kids have met the standards.” We are hearing these phrases every day on the news, in schools, and in our everyday life. What’s wrong...
I walked into my first hot yoga class, prepared with my bottle of water and my yoga mat, excited about my new adventure. I did beginner yoga and senior citizen classes but was curious about this yoga stuff in a hot room. I thought that maybe I could sweat off a few...
I was always a doodler in school, but I never really thought of myself to be an artist. I don’t remember taking an art class in the seventh or eighth grade, but for some unknown reason, I decided to take it my last semester of ninth grade. More than likely, it was for...
Third place in the Jacksonville Author of the Year Contest The building is hauntingly quiet. Outside my room, the hallway is getting dark. I sit at my desk in my classroom feeling very sad, lonely, and, for certain, missing my old school. Probably all of the other...
I’m not sure what I expected to happen after my total knee replacement. I know I was afraid of the pain and feared the physical therapy. The night before the surgery, I posted on Facebook, Tomorrow should be interesting. I’m having a total knee replacement, and I hope...
My mother was, in large part, responsible for my lack of culinary skills. She always shooed me out of the kitchen when she was cooking dinner. Oh, I helped prepare the fresh foods--shucking the corn or shelling peas from their fat pods or snapping off the ends of...
When Koda, my big yellow Labrador, woke me up Monday morning, and I agreed to get out of bed, I did with a sigh as we had been promised another eight to twelve inches of snow. I’m tired of snow, and I was going to have to drive in it whether I wanted to or not. Much...
She greeted us at the door Bright and beautiful clothes she wore We could count on a pat or a hug “This pie is all mine,” Lonnie would say with a smug Shopping, Vegas, Casinos, we traveled Watching as Pete’s pockets unraveled Patience with the cherry pie made with...
The summer before my brother, who is eight years younger than me, started school, my mom went back to work at J. C. Penny. This meant that I was now responsible for preparing dinner for the family on the days she worked the late afternoon or evening shift. I was so...