Wooden Spoons
This is my favorite Christmas story from when my sons were little. This is also one of the first stories I ever got published. It was in a church Advent devotional and people still tell me how much this story meant to them that year. When I think of Thanksgiving and Christmas it's the little slice of life moments like this that I share. All our lives have changed in the thirty-five years since this happened. Horrific things have happened to me and to our world. Yet God's promise has never changed. As we share our meals tomorrow with those we love and the memories of those no longer with us I hope each of you has that one perfect gift. "Mom, you can open your present," Justin exclaimed, "but only if you promise not to use it on me." The festive Christmas package, proudly yet childishly wrapped, did little [...]
“He’s Not Just Eight!”
Gary and I went to Steve’s preschool one Friday in November for a special day of showing grandparents all that they enjoy and learn each day. Our four-year-old could not have been more excited. We listened to books being read, enjoyed a chapel service, ate sugar-filled treats which was Steven’s favorite part, and worked together on crafts. A good time really was had by all. My son and his family went to Chicago a week ago. Actually, Steven corrected me and told me that it’s Arlington Heights, not Chicago. They went for Steven’s great grandpa’s birthday. We were coming back from Houston so we missed the party, but the pictures said it all. Not everyone came. it’s a huge family with ten kids, twenty-six grand kids, and fifteen great-grand kids with two more greats arriving in 2023. Grandpa baked his own cake and there were ninety-eight candles! I asked Steven [...]
I’ll Love You Forever
Today is National Play Monopoly Day which brings to mind a story I wrote over thirty years ago. I think we need to start playing Monopoly with my grandson. One evening, I was playing Monopoly with a family friend and my sons, fourteen-year-old Justin and sixteen-year-old Nicholas. The game was going smoothly until Justin, in a characteristic, major capitalistic move wanted to buy several properties from his brother. This coup, if he could coerce his brother into selling, would give him a monopoly; one entire city block. This was bad news for the other three players in the game; I was perilously close to bankruptcy. So Justin offered his brother an obscene amount of money, to no avail. When that didn't work, he switched to incentives, including, "You'll never have to pay me rent if you land on these." Nicholas, child of my heart during that hard-fought Monopoly game, persisted [...]
The Mud That Wasn’t Mud
Today is National Butter Day and that brings to mind a story from my new book. I Chose You, Imperfectly Perfect Rescue Dogs and Their Humans is a must-read collection of honest, humorous, and heartwarming [...]
The Quilt
It's funny writing a book so that you can make a quarterly donation to a non-profit. I would never, ever have written my new book had it not been for wanting to help the [...]
A Book Toast a Day Late
When you publish your book on Amazon there's an excellent chance others will get your book before you even see a copy. Author's copies are ordered differently and it takes ten days before they [...]