On my big sister

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On my big sister

My big sister Becky (Rebecca to many) and her husband, Rick, visited me on May 28 ... despite minimal Covid restrictions in place at the time. We all felt safe about it; they’re pretty much part of our “pod.”

Becky brought me some homemade cookies that had relatively recently become a favorite of her kids and grandkids. She also brought me a jar of yeast. I’ve been baking bread nearly every single week for years, and the Covid craziness made it impossible to find yeast. But Becky found …

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In other news: On Botox, Thailand, and ALS

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In other news: On Botox, Thailand, and ALS

In the first post I published here after returning from summer break, I shared a recap of some of the bigger changes that took place while I was away from the blog.

I didn’t tell you everything, though. A couple happenings just didn’t seem to fit in the bits I previously passed along. Those being the following…

BOTOX

I got Botox shots in June! In my …

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The Saturday post: Siblings singing sweetly

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The Saturday post: Siblings singing sweetly

It’s high time I get back to sharing something or another on Saturdays, be it a movie review, inspirational—or informative or humorous or must-see—video, or merry music-making of some sort.

I’ve chosen to restart Saturday posts with the latter, a short spot of siblings sharing their souls through song. It’s sweet and simple and something all our souls…

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Brain drain... On lo mein, cracked pots, and other loves

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Brain drain... On lo mein, cracked pots, and other loves

Wherein I ramble on...

Brianna is starting to show. And that's pretty darn awesome. She and Patrick find out next week if their first baby is a boy or a girl. I'm hoping for a girl... yet wonder if it's wrong to even consider hoping for one gender over another considering what they've gone through to get this far. Of course I'll be thrilled with another grandson but as this is likely my final grandchild, adding a girl to the grand group seems fitting. (Don't tell anyone, but I do think it's a girl.)

The life God intended. Conversations and situations

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Saturday movie review: Twinsters

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When it comes to book selections, I typically read a couple novels then alternate with a non-fiction of some sort, usually from the biography, memoir, or essay categories.

I do the same with movies. I watch a few dramas then feel the need to balance out the fiction with something real, some sort of documentary. As I recently watched and reviewed THE REVENANT, CONCUSSION, and JOY (funny that they were all dramas based on true stories, right?), I found myself craving a documentary this week.

Twinsters

The winner of my scroll through Netflix Streaming was TWINSTERS, an autobiographical film about a twenty-something Korean gal named Samantha who lived in California and, in a bizarre twist...

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Bagpipes for a brother-in-law

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Jim got the phone call yesterday morning that his brother-in-law had passed away in his sleep Monday night. Richard had battled health issues for a very long time, so the news wasn't surprising. It was, though, heartbreaking.

Jim and I last saw Richard and Sue, Jim's oldest sister, in November. We're deeply grateful for that...

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Saturday movie review: 'The Skeleton Twins'

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The Skeleton Twins

This movie proves it in spades: Kristen Wiig has acting chops and can play more than funny. In THE SKELETON TWINS, Wiig's character, Maggie, shows not one whit of her freaky yet supposedly funny Saturday Night Live characters. No Penelope. No Target Lady. And no Lawrence Welk singer Doonese. Thank heavens for that, as I cannot stand any of those characters.

Considering my dislike for Wiig's SNL...

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6 topics on which I could speak with ease... even if drunk

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6 topics on which I could speak with ease... even if drunk

 

I belong to several online writing groups. As a freelance writer, the gathering spots of like-minded wordsmiths are where I most often find support, advice, inspiration.

One tidbit I recently gleaned from such a group was instruction on how to determine the topics that one might determine — and promote to publishers — as his or her areas of expertise. The simple solution offered was to consider...

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