Tag Archives: choices
Do you feel as if your neighborhood is an extension of your home or merely land surrounding your house? Today I wish to share a story about my personal surroundings – as a child and as an adult – and the impact my neighborhood had/has on my life’s journey. Perhaps you will be able to relate. If so, please do provide your story. I grew up in the small, 100-home community called Tauxemont — located a few miles south of…..
This election is not about Harris vs. Trump — it is not about electing the first woman to be president — it is not just about the single issue of abortion or the 2nd Amendment or “The Green New Deal” or closing the border or fracking or out of control crime in our streets or TRILLIONS of dollars of National Debt, etc etc . . . it is not about any inflammatory issue the media keeps spewing about the…..
Have you ever had one of those days when you truly wish you could start over? Perhaps it was a volatile interaction with a co-worker . . . or a misunderstanding with a friend . . . or a nasty argument with your spouse . . . or a screaming match with your child . . . or a horrible traffic jam that put you in an irate mood; consequently, you took your anger out on a stranger . ……
Over the years, people have asked me to repeat my philosophy — as a parent and as a teacher — on this subject . . . here it is in a nutshell. During the years when I was teaching, the parents of my toddlers often asked for parenting advice. Many of them were first time parents who were struggling with their child; however, some of the parents had several children and were confused because each child reacted differently. My first…..
I have been cleaning out my file cabinets, closets, and drawers. It is truly amazing the things one finds when he or she is in the mood to purge. As I was going about the task, I discovered a file of information and facts I had gathered while writing Reflection of Memories. As my fans know, I LOVE HISTORY; as a result, I do a great deal of research in order to write my novels. In 2014, as I wrote…..
Recently, I had the pleasure to being interviewed by teenagers who dream of writing. They asked insightful questions and a couple that “dug” into challenging experiences of my youth. During the interview, one student asked me how I “overcame” my obstacles and how I helped my children overcome theirs. This, of course, inspired my response . . . These wise words are from the quote by Dr. Charles Swindoll. It was on my refrigerator for as long as I can…..
I had the honor and privilege of being the guest author in Ali Faustino ‘s eighth grade English class at The Brawley School in Mooresville, North Carolina. Although I have done many television and radio interviews during my literary journey, this was my first zoom interview with teenagers. I was wonderfully surprised by their insightful questions. Not only did they inquire about how to write in general and how to tackle the arduous task of writing a novel, they also…..
I watched Gone with the Wind today — AGAIN! I realize many people — especially the younger generation — like to “blow off” these “old” classics because there isn’t any computer generated action with a lot of instant gratification woven through it. Instead, these movies rely on the script, the cinematography, the story, the music and — of course — the acting. Unfortunately, this particular movie is one of many that has been a target of “Cancel Culture” because it…..
Memorial Day Weekend As we enjoy this three day weekend with family and friends, let us not forget why Americans have a day off to relax and enjoy. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day celebrating the lives of more than 620,000 soldiers who died during the Civil War (April 12, 1861 to May 13, 1865) Although the South was well known for “decorating” the graves of their soldiers during the Civil War,…..
Have you seen the recently released movie POMS starring Diane Keaton? First, I must admit . . . I would never have picked this movie on my own. Movie tickets are expensive; I normally do not pick a comedy that is just as good on my television set as it is in the theater. However, my girlfriends chose to see this movie and invited me to join them. As a result, I elected to go more to spend time with…..