What kind of Valentine’s Dazzler Are You?

The signal is clear: Christmas decorations are down. Valentine’s Day decorations are up. Even the most relationship-challenged among us know it is time to start preparing for the most romantic day of…


Picking Blackberries on a Hot Summer Day

In the silence of the early morning dawn The morning dew glitters on the grass.   The long-awaited rains are over, giving life To whiffs of earthy fragrance while quenching The thirst of this sandy…


An Okefenokee Experience

For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies. Lord of all to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.     --Folliott S.…


A Celebration of Love

“And now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 The Christmas tree is down, and the boxes of ornaments are finally in storage after sitting…


Aunt Effie

As soon as I spotted the bag of soft peppermint in the candy aisle, cherished childhood memories of my Aunt Effie came to mind.  There were two things you could count on when visiting Aunt Effie.…


The Remarkable Nature of the 5-Minute Work Break at Newell Lodge

On busy days, I argue with myself about the need for a break. “I don’t have five minutes.” The voice of reason counters, “Yes, you do.” “No, I don’t.”   And, on it goes.  On rare occasions, the voice…


Same Thing, Different Day: Lessons A Classic Movie Offers For Coping With The Pandemic

Here in south Georgia, we continue to feel the effects of the pandemic. For more than a year, we’ve lived in a cycle of “same thing, different day.” Our perception of a passing inconvenience now has…


Laughter Is the Best Medicine for South Georgia Ladies Who Do Lunch

A cheerful heart is good medicine. - Proverbs 17:22 The heartless south-Georgia heat snubbed us as we stepped outside, daring us to breathe. Ninety-two degrees and rising. The overcast sky trapped…


The Piano Lessons

Several unconstrained dogs lived between our house and Mrs. White’s.  I was wasting my breath as I begged my older sister, Sue to slow down as we walked to piano lessons.  I was deathly afraid of…


Try, Try Again: Remembering Daddy’s Patience and Lessons of Love

The Carter Girls: Grace, Sue, Kathy, me, and Phyllis Anne with their father, Clarence, and mother, Gladys, about 1957. The memories of my father, Clarence Carter, remain as clear as though they were…