A New Normal
There are only a handful of days that I can recall so clearly as if they happened yesterday…my wedding, the days my children were born, my daughter’s wedding, the days my grandchildren were born. There are even fewer days that have captured the attention and memory of the nation…celebrity deaths… presidential elections…Super Bowls…9/11. Oh, I remember that one vividly, at…
Wildflowers and Sunflowers
I really love the springtime. I don’t do cold well, so I love when the air warms enough for me to be able to put on a pair of shorts and bask in the sun. I also love how enlivened the songs of the birds and emergence of fresh green leaves on the trees make me feel. But the thing…
Splattered Bugs
There have been A LOT of bugs in and around Bakersfield this year. The front grille and bumper of our truck could testify to this fact. Travelling frequently through the rural outskirts of town has exponentially added to the casualties that have collided with the frontend of our truck. Perhaps the abundance of these flying critters has been a result…
Swimming With The Sharks
Last month my husband and I had the opportunity to swim with the leopard sharks in La Jolla Cove, near San Diego, CA. To some this may sound reckless, or even like a death-defying feat, but in reality, these creatures are as docile as a deer in the woods. They swarm to the area each year to mate and breed,…
Confessions of a Competitive Speeder
I like to drive fast…sometimes really fast. And sometimes driving really fast can get you into trouble. This became my reality about four years ago when I received two tickets in one week. Not my proudest confession! Thankfully, on both occasions the officers showed me some grace and only wrote me up for going 10 miles over the speed limit.…
Slap Attacks
I am the youngest of three children, which has had its advantages and its disadvantages. My siblings were seven and nine years older than me, so in a sense I felt like the youngest only child. When I was young, I was often the tag-along when my siblings had to watch me, which I’m sure they loved…NOT!!! This, along with…
Embracing The Wilderness
I love nature. I love everything about it, from scrutinizing the intricate trail of the tiniest of ants to gazing in awe at the mightiest majestic mountains forming the backdrop of God’s glory. Nature is my thing. I will take a hike in the wild over an all expense paid trip to any amusement park…any day. My Girl Scouts used…
I Was Brave
“Today we survived nearly 10 miles of the Kern in just under 5 hours…from just above Lake Ming all the way to Manor Street…including going around two weirs (kind of like a dam with a spillway all the way across) and an area with rocks across the whole river,” a victory I boasted inwardly on June 30, 2019. This feat…
Traffic Wisdom
Today I was travelling from Visalia to Porterville for work. Google maps told me take Hwy 198 to Ave 204. I turned maps off because my phone battery was getting low and I knew how far it was until it told me to turn. When I got to Hwy 65, about a mile before Ave. 204, the road sign said…
Stained Glass Beauty
Life can be hard…I mean really hard…especially with all of the expectations I place on myself. I long to be the perfect wife, you know the one who has the perfectly clean house and gourmet meal ready each night at a reasonable time. The one with a body that my husband desires. The one with a submissive attitude, yet strong…
