My Big, Fat Greek Getaway, Part 3
On my walks down Tarpon Avenue to the bayou the past several mornings, I'd heard other bayou walkers discuss manatee sightings. Helpful individuals pointed out spots where they had surfaced near the shore. Several times, I paused on my walk and sat to watch -- to no avail. The Gulf of Mexico is one of just three places in the world where these...
My Big, Fat Greek Getaway, Part 2
Second only to good food as an Important Getaway Necessity are good books. Because I packed light for this trip (and still had to pay to check my bag), I brought my Kindle and a precious few actual books. The one I HAD to pack is a long-time favorite: "Gift from the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I have a used copy, since I keep giving away...
My Big, Fat Greek Getaway, Part 1
What does one do while on vacation but eat? In the first 24 hours of my Greek Getaway, I consumed a generous slice of Key Lime Pie, a wonderful turkey-and-tomato omelet, a chocolate eclair topped with strawberries and kiwi (that was lunch) and an amazing authentic Greek dinner featuring moussaka, potatoes, lamb, cute little meatballs and a...
Real Conversations with a Friend
Have you ever tried to hold a good, heartfelt conversation in a busy restaurant or coffee shop? All the distractions -- the noise, movement, other faces -- they keep that conversation from going deep, and often you miss what's said, what's behind the words that are said. The best conversations happen when it's quiet. On a front porch, in the...
The One Who Is Love
Today is set aside to celebrate love, and today we Followers of Christ step out on a journey to meet The One Who Is Love. Together, we will take 40 steps to the Garden, stand at the foot of the Cross, kneel before the empty tomb and ask "How do I love like Jesus?" The truth is, I know I can't. And in my own strength, maybe I never will. Oh,...
The Blessing
Our youngest stepped across the threshold into manhood a few days ago. With birthday cheesecake and a small gathering of friends, we heralded his coming of age -- 18. And all this week, I've had one thought. Where did the time go? When did he stop spending hours building cities with Legos, racing around the lawn in a pirate costume, doing...
Reflecting on Lessons Learned
Lying on a gurney in the radiation room at my Cancer Treatment Center, I count up to 16. "You're Number 16," I say to the kind fellow prepping me for my morning CAT scan -- Number 16 in a long line of strangers to examine, poke, bandage or photograph this rather personal area of my body. He chuckles and pushes a button that slides me into the...
No “Muskrat Love” in My World
Taking stock recently of my body's collision with breast cancer, I'm intrigued by how God has tucked so many life lessons into this natural world, almost as if He's devised a sort of "treasure hunt" for us. It was with amusement that I stumbled upon a lesson in "Muskrat Love" buried for me in my own back yard. One has taken up residence in...
Tell Them Your Story
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. These past several weeks, I have posted facts about violence in dating relationships among teens, signs that your dating relationship may not be healthy and how to set boundaries in relationships. Teens who find themselves in violent dating relationships are in danger of continuing the pattern...
Body on loan from God
In the days since a cancerous tumor was lifted from my chest, I've thought a lot about this earthly body, the one God created for me nearly 60 years ago. These days, I am certainly aware that my body and I are on the downhill side of life. If I'm lucky (or maybe not), I could spend another 20 years in this sack of bones, muscle and skin. No...