• Permalink Gallery

    This Is My Autograph – the important signature is so much more

This Is My Autograph – the important signature is so much more

Sitting at a long table covered with copies of my recent book, Tipsy in Stilettos, I was overwhelmed by the crowd that had shown up to hear me speak and have their books signed.

At first, I felt proud of what I’d accomplished. Then, I’ll admit, my ego crept in. I began imagining that this evening would never end—that there would be more readings, more signings, and more people waiting for my name scribbled across a page.

But just as I was about to sign the […]

A Beautiful Noise – when discourse becomes peaceful

Gathering around the table for what should have been a lovely dining experience, my then-high school-age children quickly began their sibling posturing. Remembering my own youth with three brothers, I wasn’t surprised when the conversation quickly grew heated, as four voices began shouting over each other to be heard.

Ah, the art of respectful conversation. That lovely activity where two or more people come together to share ideas and respect reigns supreme as one gives a point, then the other politely counter points. There may […]

Best Friends Forever

Sometimes a best friend can come in a tiny package

Long ago, when I was a child, if my bestie went on to find a new friend, I cried. No, I take that back. It meant the world was ending, and I blubbered hysterically.

For days after, I’d eat alone at lunch and later walk home by myself, feeling miserable. This would carry into the weekend, where I sat in my bedroom for hours because I had no one to play with. Luckily, as life would […]

To Erase or Not Erase Someone Who has Passed

When is it a good time to let contact information go once a loved one has died?

As the New Year gently rolled in and the Christmas decorations were stored away, I did what I do every year—I began to purge all the unnecessary things in my life. First went all the clothes I knew I’d no longer wear. Next came every drawer in the house that needed decluttering, and then it was off to the kitchen to throw away food that was long past […]

My 2025 Wish for All of Us – That They Take Us with Them

Tim and Jordan

The sun had set, and the tables were lit with soft-colored candles, their flames fluttering in the gentle Texas wind. My daughter, Jenni, had just danced her first dance with her new husband, and the crowd was getting ready for dinner to be served. While the bride and groom were glowing and everything was planned to perfection, a moment, just one sweet little scene, caught my attention as I sat down.

There on the dance floor, all by themselves, were my son Tim […]

The Rules to Becoming a Grandmother

In 2018, a year after I turned 65, my daughter Lauren gifted me with my first grandson, Bo. I’d waited such a long time for the blessed event – so long that I often thought it would never happen. All four of my children were well into their thirties and taking their sweet old time with this phase of their lives. So, when it was announced he would arrive that August, I decided to research all the ways to be, and not to be, […]