I spent some time picking blackberries this weekend, a favorite and also least favorite summer activity. It is my experience that no matter how I plan, no matter what time of the morning or evening, the temperature rises above 100 degrees the moment I get within picking distance of a blackberry patch. I suspect blackberries have their own environment where[…]
On Mother’s Day
It is Mother’s Day. My mother left this earth in 2018, four years ago. If you still have your mother, let me be cliché for a moment and tell you to cherish every minute with her. Of course, you cannot do that, because well . . . life. But make your best effort, so you minimize your regrets. Loss is[…]
On Where Christmas Went…
When I was a kid, my mother often read Erma Bombeck’s column to me. Mom loved Erma, and I enjoyed the column too, but I never fully appreciated the essays until I was a mother. Erma wrote the following column in 1971 and it was republished in newspapers during Christmas for years afterward. Mom had cut out the article and[…]
And Now We Are Three…
And now we are three. Then, one day, we will be two. After that, only one. And then…. This picture was taken Christmas morning, 1969. If memory serves, we all got new pajamas as our gift to open Christmas Eve. This helped insure we were somewhat presentable the next morning when Mom’s Polaroid came out. That is my older brother[…]
On Finding Our Things…
My little sister, Piglet, ran a half marathon today. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is one of the biggest events our city has for runners. It was organized to remember those whose lives were lost in the 1995 Murrah Building Bombing, support survivors, pay tribute to first responders, and to raise money to support the Museum that has been erected[…]
On What’s In a Name?
I changed my name. Why? The first assumption made by casual acquaintances and people who didn’t know me before 1984 was that I had gotten married. “I just noticed your new email signature. I guess congratulations are in order!” But, of course that’s not what happened. I guess it would be more correct to say I changed my name back[…]
On Remembrance…
This picture is of my father, back from basic training, and just before leaving for his tour in Germany. He was a bright young man who chose to give up the last couple of months of high school (and possible jail time for a teenage prank he and some buddies took a bit too far), to serve his country. He[…]
On Relationship…
A simple tree by the roadside stands…
On Christmas Traditions.
I am being haunted by traditions today. Christmas Eve 2020 is not like any other Christmas Eve. Normally, I would be rushing to finish up my work so I could join my family for our traditional Christmas Eve celebration. My siblings and I, together with our families and loved ones, would gather together at Mom and Daddy’s house. We’d give[…]
On Grandpa’s Fiddle
My grandfather, Harvie Montgomery, gave me this fiddle when I was a youngster. I adored him. When I was about 25 years old, he developed lung cancer and died in just over a year. I have kept this fiddle in its case all this time. My mother remembers him playing it on their porch surrounded by family, his brothers playing[…]