Mom

Mom

I can see her as a little girl, dark hair in braids, running down that dusty road at Etta, hoeing weeds out of the garden, her bonnet dangling down her back, or picking wildflowers for a spring bouquet. She was the middle child in the Latty family, the mischievous one who was always busy but […]

Blessings for Grandmas

Blessings for Grandmas

A lot of blessings come along with being a grandma. The biggest blessing is grandchildren–those little guys and gals who remind us of our own children when they were that age. Grandmas have time to listen to what happened at school and they don’t scold when an exuberant grandchild runs through the house. Grandmas admire works of […]

At the End of a Windswept Day

At the End of a Windswept Day

I’m actually writing this Thursday evening, not Friday morning, although that’s when you’ll be reading it, probably. This has been a windswept day, pretty chilly, but what made it really nippy was an enthusiastic wind that enjoyed chilling the bones of anyone who got out in it. The sky looks so pretty this evening. It’s […]

Danger from Below

Danger from Below

For small birds and animals, danger lurks below them and above them. Caution and alertness are the watchwords of their day. As I glanced out my window a couple of days ago, I blinked and looked again. Under the bird feeder sat a hawk. He just sat on the ground, looking all around him, hooked beak […]

Peeling Back the Layers of Time

Peeling Back the Layers of Time

Those of us fascinated by history like to peel back the layers of time. Year by year, century by century, people live, die, buildings are built and then fall victim to a disaster or, by chance, survive. Going forward, we add to the layers of history but going backward, ah! There is the fascination. I haven’t […]

Old Barns and Life

Old Barns and Life

Last night as I sat on my deck listening to cicadas and frogs, I thought how many generations of my ancestors had heard these same night noises. These were age-old summer sounds: the jar flies as we called them, the frogs, a whole chorus of them. I felt as if I could close my eyes and be […]