Good morning... I wake in the middle of this night with one word on my mind: retreat. As I am drawn to explore the word on Dictionary.com, I notice that, as a noun, retreat means "a place of refuge, seclusion, privacy." I see that as a verb, retreat means "the act of withdrawing, as into safety, privacy, seclusion." [...]
Good morning... In the guiding light of this Passover full moon, we sift through many layers of experience. Tonight my husband Steve and I shared a decade changing birthday celebration with one of the men who went on our Israel 2023 trip. A few people from our group shared in this special evening. The life-changing experience of traveling [...]
Good morning... April 15th comes every year. An anxious date I used to hate, now I kinda enjoy tax season. In recent years, I have noticed that preparing taxes blends really well with Lent and Easter, winter tipping into spring, and my March 23rd birthday season. Since beginning my own small business as a daily blogger in 2015, [...]
Good morning... Beneath the beaming sliver of yesterday's partial solar eclipse, I experienced one fun, full day of life. We are thoroughly enjoying a three-day visit from life-long friends whose son is ringing the bell at the Chick-fil-a headquarters today as he becomes an owner/operator. Together, we took in the sky's amazing marvel at the Lovett School, which [...]
Good morning... Without our dogs, I would miss so much. Finger-to-fur time. Companionship on walks. Eyes that melt the tensions of life. Adorable sleeping snores. The loud lapping of water. The funny habit of flipping and chasing food. A loving ear to lean on, always. Whole-bodied happiness as anyone walks in the door. Without our dogs, I would [...]
Good morning... On my 61st birthday, I wake to an empty home, two dogs, and one spring birthday doll. My husband is away in Nicaragua, checking out a possible location for his upcoming new adventure as travel director for Lovett Expeditions. One daughter is in a wedding in Nashville, Tennessee; the other daughter is visiting with college friends [...]
Good morning... Up in the middle of the night, I read the Post Hope blog message crafted by Elizabeth, the daughter-in-law of my longtime soul friend. Elizabeth has been invited to share her story at a gala for the American Cancer Society tonight. Prayers go out to her, her friends and her family as they attend this long [...]
Good morning... When I arrived at our therapeutic community group at PAWkids yesterday morning, I didn't know what "blob" from the "blob tree" described how I felt (this is a check-in ritual we share each week). My emotions were deeply muddled. I had just received a return text from a close friend who lives in Athens, Georgia, and, [...]
Good morning... "It is a blessing to still have our mothers," a friend wrote after visiting her mom for her 86th birthday. I just returned home from Ohio after a successful surgery for my own 85-year-old mom. "Praise the Lord for good news about your mom's surgery, Sue!" wrote another dear friend. "Speaking of [...]
Good morning... I discovered a poem which means more to me this Valentine's Day than ever before. With my mom's surgeries and hospital stays, with our friend's successful heart transplant, and with the grueling medical treatments endured by so many loved ones this year, I have marveled at the gentle care given by skilled professionals. For all of [...]
