We’ve all heard, “Growing old is not for sissies.” Let me enlarge on that: “Writing is not for sissies.” Or, just about anything we want with our whole heart and have to work hard to get is not for the faint-hearted. We must have an inner core of firm resolve. Sort of like the avocado. […]
When Courage is a Must
This is another rainy morning and earlier, it was a rainy, stormy morning with thunder booming around the clouds. My pal Nemo the Furry One is not a fan of storms. Since his hearing is almost non-existent, he isn’t afraid of those loud sounds any more, but I’m convinced that he feels atmospheric change or […]
Help and Courage
This is the second and final installment of my May 5, 1985 Daily Press article about the tornado which destroyed Peggs, Oklahoma on May 2, 1920. This was 104 years ago but it’s a part of history that shouldn’t be forgotten. In 1920, Walter Neel lived with his parents, brothers and sisters on the Gid […]
Remembering an Oklahoma Tornado
Each year I re-print the story of the Peggs tornado that I wrote for The Tahlequah Daily Press in 1985. This story is important because it is a part of our history. It is a sad story, but it is also full of human compassion and courage. We should not forget the many whose lives […]
Three Good Friends
Myrtle, Minerva, and Maude were three good friends. Each week, they met at one of their houses to share tea, a bite of something sweet, and the latest news. Myrtle was a beautiful hen with red feathers; Minerva was equally lovely in feathers of brown and Maude’s feathers were a gorgeous, snowy white. To be […]
A Day That Will Live in Infamy
“A day that will live in infamy,” President Roosevelt said. And, indeed, it has and will. A sneak attack by Japanese aircraft against the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor triggered the United States’ entrance into World War II, December 7, 1941. As I watch old film clips and read first-hand accounts, I can imagine […]