Mike and I had a lovely afternoon listening to music in Key West.
Lately, I have been thinking about mindlessness and mindfulness. While mindfulness is a fairly common topic and one which also interests me, we also need to think about mindlessness. We may not even be aware of how often our behavior is on autopilot. Continue reading
Soon the Summer of 2019 will be just a memory. The weather is beginning to cool down and Fall officially arrives in a few days. As one season exits making room for another, as the leaves begin to turn and the trees eventually shed their leaves, I am thinking of what I want to shed. Continue reading
A somewhat younger Will Fralix, but he never lost his hair!
He would have been 96 in December. Although Mike, his oldest son, wanted him to “have a few more months,” his body gave out. He died a peaceful death on September 6, 2019, with his beloved wife of seventeen years, Rosie, by his side. He had been in a hospital, and then a rehab facility, and had he lived another day, he would have been a hospice patient. But around noon on September 6, after being non-responsive for days, he opened his eyes briefly, took two more breaths, then made his transition. He had told several of us, including Mike, that he was “ready to go.” What a blessing for the family to know he wasn’t fighting death, that he was not giving up, but that he was “ready to go.” Continue reading
As Hurricane Dorian heads up the coast of the Eastern United States after decimating the Bahamas, Mike and I are in St. Maarten, remembering Hurricane Irma’s wrath here two years ago today. While Hurricane Dorian wiped out much of the Bahamas, its impact on the Eastern United States is still in process. Dorian’s wrath on the Bahamas has left many without homes and businesses, and at least twenty-five deaths are being attributed to this hurricane. The devastation of Hurricane Dorian is legendary. Our thoughts and prayers are with the many people who suffered Hurricane Dorian’s wrath. Continue reading
Looking out of the front of our condo in St. Maarten.
It is that time of the year. Mike and I are on our two-week vacation in St. Maarten, a trip we have taken every year for the past twenty years, with the exception of last year, when we came for only one week. Last year our trip was abbreviated because our property was still under renovation from Hurricane Irma that occurred on September 6, 2017. More about that next week, on the anniversary of that major event. Continue reading
I went into a laboratory to have blood drawn, never expecting to receive a blessing. I left crying, not from the blood stick, but from the blessing I received from the technician, Tina. Continue reading
It is a given that communication occurs more now through texting than by face to face or phone. I wish it were not so, but it is. Me too. I find that it is much easier to send a text than to call, so I often do. While texting is great for efficiency, it often lacks in effectiveness. I am finding of late that common courtesies are often missed when “talk” occurs through text. I am sure that I have made the same mistakes that I write about, without even thinking about it. In this blog post, I am discussing one of the most common mistakes made when talking by text. Continue reading
I wrote in May about a big change I was making, and that I would discuss it openly once I hit the 90-day mark without backsliding. I named it the “Big C.” I linked it to my return to Weight Watchers (now WW, but still Weight Watchers to me!) This week (August 5th to be exact) I hit the 90-Day mark, without backsliding. So here is the big reveal. Continue reading
(L to R) Mary Grace, Virginia, Tara, and Elsie In Avalon, Mary Grace’s cabin.
I had hoped that I would remember it, but I didn’t. As we drove into the campground gates, nothing looked familiar. I suppose that isn’t surprising since it had been thirty-two years. Saturday, July 27th, we went with our fourteen-year-old granddaughter Mary Grace’s parents, to Sapphire, NC to pick her up from Camp Merrie-Woode, where she had been in camp for five weeks. Thirty-two years ago, I dropped off and picked up our daughter, Tara, Mary Grace’s momma (Mary Grace’s name for her mother!), at the same camp. Thirty-two years! It is hard to believe that many years have passed. A legacy continues. Continue reading
Sunset on Lake Gaston.
Summer is in full swing. The days are longer, allowing us to spend more time outdoors. If we can stand the heat, that is. Raleigh had its hottest day all year on Monday, followed by a “cold front” on Wednesday, with much cooler temperatures. Even the weather is unpredictable. But there are some things that are predictable. One of those is Camp Nana when the granddaughters who live in Georgia come to Raleigh for a prolonged visit. This has been a tradition in our family since Mary Grace, who is now fourteen, was one. We have not missed a summer. Continue reading
