It began as a silent battle. I didn’t know I was being invaded by the dark side – the Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete. These are the corkscrew shaped bacteria that cause Lyme disease. I’ve learned a lot about Lyme these past few weeks. For instance, I didn’t know...
In It to Give It
On the way to a marriage retreat this past weekend I received an e-mail from a friend. He is suffering from extremely serious an advanced cancer and had just gone through ten hours of brain surgery the day before. The subject line on his e-mail read “we are praying...
Showing Up
It’s my routine every evening. Before I retire for the night I let both dogs go outside. They do their thing, always eager to come back inside for their night-time treats. Last night was meant to be no different. They went out. The puppy came bounding in doing all...
Can A Truck Say “Choo-Choo”?
My two 2-year- old grandchildren were having a discussion this morning. My daughter summed up the context of their debate. Lexi was trying to convince Micah that trucks could say “choo-choo”. Micah was countering that only trains could say “choo-choo”. That sound...
Getting “Unstuck”
Denver, our golden retriever pup, had me worried yesterday. He was sick on his stomach and lethargic throughout the day and evening. Even as all the kids and grandkids gathered for a family dinner last night Denver didn't want to play - and he always wants to play! ...
Closer Than a Tick on a Hound Dog
I've never been fond of ticks. I once accidentally picked up a well-fed tick off my kitchen floor, thinking I had dropped a blueberry. That was thoroughly disgusting - and it was a while before I was able to eat a blueberry again. Most ticks, however, are smaller...
The Day I Was Born
Fifty-eight years ago today Porter Horne’s mother was exceedingly grateful. The Horne’s, and their two little boys, lived across the pond from my family’s house. On this particular day, March 23, 1954, five year old Porter was enjoying a tricycle ride with his older...
Dinner With a Friend
Whenever time and finances allow, there are few things I enjoy more than eating dinner with friends. Last night, I experienced dining at its finest! I had a free meal with a special friend. We ate cereal, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, pasta and soup. The non-stop...
Falling Into Holes
I fell into a hole today. Other than the humiliation of being sprawled out on the lawn of a funeral home, and a sprained, swollen and black and blue "pinky" - there were no serious repercussions. Sometimes I feel like holes in the ground just wait for me - or...
Crashing Through the Quitting Places
Often, I take the back roads near my house in order to access the main highway. Though this path is quite curvy to navigate, the scenery is striking. My favorite corner along this route houses a pasture where a large horse can often be seen grazing. Two miniature...
Connection Correction!
I’ve learned anew, in a very personal way, just how important it is to have correct connections. Earlier this week I found out that I had an “extra” connector inside of my heart called a bypass tract. Two days later I was in the hospital getting this situation...
The Monitor Told the Truth
I felt as though I was walking into a time warp as I entered the doctor’s office. The furniture, pictures, phone and lamps were all from the 1950’s. At any given moment I expected Opie and “Aunt Bea” to walk into the room with Sherriff Andy Taylor. The bathroom was...