

The Gift of Life
I have only given blood once. It was during one of those drives at school when the Red Cross trailer pulled into the bus parking lot and welcomed students over the age of 18 to donate. Truth be told, most were lured by the promise of free cookies and juice. Missing math class was just a bonus. The faculty was encouraged to pop in during their planning periods to participate and after watching the heart-tugging video at the most recent faculty meeting, many of us volunteered.


The Last Jar of Jelly
As summer turns into fall, the blackberry vines which punctuate our country property begin to shrivel and die. I have a love/hate relationship with these intrusive weeds. When they first emerge in the spring, I resolve to eliminate them by any means possible, but as the ground warms, the runners spread in an invisible invasion. By Mother’s Day, the vines begin to sprout white flowers and my thoughts turn to the harvest. In the hottest dog days of summer, the berries appear, q


What I Learned as I Recovered from Surgery
Most kids hated the predictable first day of school essay assignment, “What I did on my Summer Vacation.” I was the exception. I suppose it was my first clue that writing was going to be my thing, even though it took me decades to actually try my hand at it. I have figured out that putting pen to paper can sometimes help me make sense of situations, So this will be my “what I did (and learned) as I recovered from surgery” blog. I am always eager to pass along miscellaneous