Our family has a Christmas tradition – to see a morning movie during the holidays. This last Christmas, we chose The Rise of Skywalker. Full confession, I cried during so many parts of this movie I didn’t question the tears, I just let them fall (very relieved to have had enough tissues). Afterwards, I wondered... Learn More

In my “minds-eye” my secret expectation of life is that it be like a shiny new Penny. Clean, pristine, well-defined. But leaning down in a store parking lot one afternoon… I picked up this roughed-up penny with its surfaces all but indistinguishable. The value lies beneath the surface retained.In that moment, I realized that even... Learn More

During the last week of 2019, I made a list of things to let go of – unworn clothes, habits that don’t serve me (watching TV while playing games on my cell phone – not really interested in either activity), excuses for not exercising, etc.  A friend of mine told me she was actively seeking... Learn More

Kruger Park, South Africa – 7500+ square miles, 4000+ predators (~1600 very healthy lions), 1000s of animals killed nightly. Our night game drive began with Ferdy, Park Ranger for 35 years, making sure his gory stories of what happened to people who got out of the game-viewing/open-sided vehicle would convince us to stay IN the... Learn More

Scene: Kruger National Park, South Africa, night drive through the park in a game-viewing/open-sided vehicle, 20 passengers, 1 Park Ranger/Driver/Tour Guide Picture 5 spotlights focused on the spectacle of the night – 2 huge male lions (brothers) in their prime, who “own” this part of the park, chowing down on a good-sized giraffe that had... Learn More

Bigfoot Wallace, a very famous Texas Ranger in the mid-1800s, with whom you would not want to mess, was 6’2” and 240 lbs – quite a big man back in those days. I am a lateral descendant (he had no children), according to Family Lore. Also according to Family Lore, HE is the reason we... Learn More