Budd and I celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary with deep gratitude for all God had done in us and for us. We talked a lot about our 40th and planned to take a trip to the Northeast, something we dreamed of doing since we lived in Boston during Budd’s Army training days. We loved taking … More Snapshot of Dying Ivy

Years ago I was talking with a young mom who had a very strong-willed son. He was only 8 or 9 but was convinced that he knew best about everything. He was bright, active and seemed destined to be a very good lawyer. She is a gentle soul, loves her children immensely and wanted to … More Snapshot of a Pole

When my sister Barbara was about 9 months old, she had a bad case of impetigo (red, scabby sores all over her body). My mom, a 22-year-old single mother of 3 girls, struggling to keep our heads above water, did all she knew to keep Barb as comfortable as possible. A neighbor friend invited Mom … More Snapshot of Gratefulness

Hope. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary it means to cherish a desire with anticipation; to want something to happen or be true; to expect with confidence. As a noun it is desire accompanied by expectation of fulfillment or someone or something on which hopes are centered. Hope is kind of what gets us up in the … More Snapshot of Hope

After being gone for a couple of years at college I returned home for a visit. It was so good to be back in my small hometown with corn fields, clean air and a slower pace than Los Angeles. My first night home, every couple of hours I was awakened by the rumble of a … More Train Whistle

When my kids were young I used to take them out of school on opening day at Dodger Stadium. It was a tradition for us. I bought a legit scorebook from a sporting goods store and my son, Matt, could keep a detailed scorebook when he was six. We had an excellent pair of binoculars, … More Binoculars

I’ve never been great with boundaries. I can have plans to do something…or NOT do anything…and a call or request comes to me and I just say “okay.” Now, I’m better than I used to be but I wouldn’t call it a strength. Several years ago I was approaching burnout in my life. As a … More Open House

I was chatting with a group of friends while our kids played around us, scampering around our feet. Suddenly I felt that wonderful feeling of little hands clutching my jeans and leaning her head against my leg. I looked down, expecting to see my daughter Anna, but it was another little girl leaning on me. … More Holding onto a pant leg

If you drive you have probably seen traffic signs that warn there is construction going on:  Men at Work, Shoulder Closed, Reduced Speed Ahead, etc. One such sign on the open highway is the caution, “Fines Doubled in Construction Zones.” That means that if your speeding ticket would normally be $100, in a construction zone … More Fines Doubled