As a child I looked forward to Christmas-mostly. We didn’t get much in the way of gifts, but we loved the tree and the Christmas baking and the music and the driving around looking at light displays. But I didn’t appreciate what my parents, especially my mother, went through to see that we had Christmas. So until I moved out on my own, Christmas ( Read more... )

The year was 1962. My preacher father had once again loaded his family and possessions into the Village Missions moving truck and headed south to the Mojave Desert. The constant rain and humidity of the Puget Sound had wreaked havoc with Dad’s sensitive sinuses and we were heading for drier regions ( Read more... )

You might want to read this if you have chronic pain.  Or maybe you think you may have thyroid problems, but the lab results don't show it.  Or maybe you just enjoy medical books and articles (Beth?).

I just finished reading "Hypothyroidism Type 2" by Mark Starr, M.D.  It was recommended by my doctor, Dr. Grable, after he and I got into a bit of a ( Read more... )

On Wednesday evening, day 12, we noticed a lot of activity in the palm tree beside the front porch.  Birdie Mae and her mate were hopping around in the branches, chirping and singing.  Georgie, the indoor cat, was sitting in the window watching intently, so I moved him to the bedroom in case he was upsetting the birds.  But the activity continued ( Read more... )

Day 11 - Birdie Mae feeds the babies

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There are four in all.


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She did a really good job.  I didn't even notice the nest in the planter by the front door until it was completely finished.  Then when I peeked inside, the four little eggs were already there.

The next time I checked the nest, the Carolina wren was inside, sitting on her eggs.  I decided to call her Birdie Mae.

Birdie Mae seems very comfortable ( Read more... )

 It was fall when Ginger came to us.  I looked out the patio doors and saw a sweet-looking orange and white cat looking back at me.  There was something about his eyes-a longing look.  And he talked.  He meowed like he was asking for something.  So I set out a bowl of dry cat food and watched through the door to see what he would do.   He ( Read more... )

The year was 1963.  My sisters and I were excited about moving.  This time we weren’t moving to another state, leaving friends and memories behind, we were moving to a new “parsonage.”  The tiny desert church had been offered an old dude ranch to use to house our family.  The owners needed a presence on the place to discourage vandalism.  We needed ( Read more... )