My husband and I were engaged on Christmas Day in our last year of college.
We set our wedding date for that October.
That summer before our wedding we looked for apartments.
My soon-to-be-husband would live in it then, and I would join him after the wedding.

We needed to live in the place of Amish buggies and farmland.
He needed to be close to work.
We set out one Saturday and had our itinerary mapped out.
I loved the first apartment that we saw.

Read More...

There is something about being the first one to make a footprint in the snow.
There is something free and abandoned about stepping out in uncharted territory.
Something so wondrous about leaving your mark.
I was here.

Such was the case this morning after a light snowfall.
No one had yet walked upon the white powdery snow.
No one had ventured down the driveway to get the newspaper.
No one had set foot on the walkway to come to the door.

Read More...

I look out on our empty deck and know that it is winter.
In about five months, the furniture will be brought out of the basement.
The glass-top table will be positioned in the center of the deck.
The umbrella will be set up over the table to shield us from the sun.

It is the glass-top table I am remembering.
It was one of those late spring days that compel you to open all of the windows.
A day to open the windows and let the cool breeze blow through the house.
Everything smells as fresh as the outdoors.

It was on one such day, it happened.

Read More...

I use my mother’s china on special occasions.
It was the same special china that was used for all of our holiday dinners.
It was the delicate china with the tiny green floral pattern around the rim.
The rim that was etched in gold; the gold that seemed so real when I was a girl.

My mother allowed me to set the table when I was old enough to do that on my own.
There were always the instructions to be very careful with her good dishes.
I carried them to the table as if I was transporting an egg across the room.
In essence I was, and the care I took to carry them meant that I never broke even one.

Read More...

It had been a long day.
I came home with packages and groceries and placed them on my kitchen island.
I was trying to get ahead of the winter storm that is scheduled to arrive.
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I had to purchase the little incidentals for our meal.

When everything was put away, I got my laptop and put it on the island so I could write.
My island has become my standing desk; more comfortable and better for my back.
My Bible was next to me since I use it frequently as I write.
My phone was there next to me, just in case.

Read More...

I heard an interesting news report as I was getting dressed.
At first I thought I heard it wrong.
Since it is a news radio station, the stories are repeated every twenty minutes.
I made it a point to listen with full attention to see if I heard the story correctly.

I did.
Companies that sell underwear are able to forecast the strength of the economy.

I was confused.
The two things seemed unrelated.
One has nothing to do with the other.
Apparently I was wrong.

Read More...

Every day I post a quote on my personal Facebook wall.
It is a quote that has impacted me in some way.
It is a quote that I have come across from a favorite theologian or writer.
Often the quote calms my spirit and I know it will calm another.

Sometimes, I come across a quote that is an offense.
I just don’t like it.
Then I ponder why I dislike it so much.
That can prove to be an exercise in futility or prove to be very fruitful.

Read More...

It is a common sight this time of year.
You will see them on the roofs of houses.
Their wingspan is anywhere from 63-72 inches.
They are an eerie sight as they are silhouetted against the fall sky.

I see them on my walk many mornings.
They definitely have preferred houses upon which they roost.
I see them roosting in the leafless trees.
They have the appearance of a sentry, ever watching, ever waiting.

Read More...

t was before the days of GPS.
It was before the days of Google maps.
Directions were given by word of mouth as you searched for landmarks.
Directions could be discerned by using a paper map.

I am not a map person.
I even have trouble with a directory in a mall or outlet center.
You are here means nothing.
You are here facing the store, or you are here with your back to the store?

Read More...

There was nothing I liked more as a little girl than a carousel.
I was never a roller coaster kind of girl, though I regrettably tried a few.
I liked the gentle motion of the merry-go-round.
I liked the way I could see the faces of those waiting in line.

I would scope out all the horses as I waited.
I would plan my route.
If everyone went left, I went right.
I would reach that beautiful horse straight away.

Read More...