Occasionally, I get things right! When I learned that my long time friend and colleague, Gerry Robinson, was retiring from Hatcher Memorial Baptist in Richmond, I determined to attend the celebrations in his honor. Today, I experienced a wonderful “final” service, led by Gerry, and then an amazing Concert, lovingly prepared and presented by the…

It’s true, folks.   It really does take a Village. To raise a child. To build a family. To stay healthy.  To thrive, even (especially!) in the face of a progressive illness. Today, we have been celebrating my husband’s birthday.  It began oddly enough, with a regular 6 month appointment with my neurologist and the…

Nostalgia: [no-stal-juh, -jee-uh, nuh-] noun A wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one’s life, to one’s home or homeland, or to one’s family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time Nostalgia is truly a mixed emotion. It was on my mind a good bit a few weeks ago as I lingered for several days in my childhood “stomping grounds.” One day, I took my 90-year-old Mom out for lunch. Her mobility is impaired, so we decided to…

In recent weeks and months, the children’s story about the emporer’s new clothes has often come to mind. I love the diversity that IS this nation. I cherish the freedom we each have to say what we think. I prefer to refrain from pointing fingers and name-calling, but common sense somehow puts me in the…

Gifts come in all shapes and sizes. Some are bought. Some are handcrafted. Some are purchased in a flurry of shopping while others are planned, researched, purchased long before the celebratory event. Whatever one’s gift-giving style, there is, at the very least, a modicum of thought about the recipient of one’s gift. It’s that thought…

Get the mail. Read the mail. Smile. Bring the trashcan back down the hill on trash pickup day. Remember that it IS trash pickup day. Decorate the Christmas tree. Decorate the house for Christmas. Bake old family recipes. Wrap gifts. Shop for gifts (especially on-line!). Make a mess in the den while I’m crafting and…

Yesterday was a difficult day. I was coming off a very busy weekend followed by a round with a virus that left me feeling a bit weak. The real stimulus for my malaise, however, was a wonderful choral concert that we attended the evening before.   I found myself immersed in music that I love, satisfied…

Odyssey, noun:  a long series of wanderings or adventures, especially when filled with notable experiences, hardships, etc It’s been a week since the sibling part of the Rodgers Odyssey came to its conclusion. Our family and friends gathered household goods and made plans for three months. Three of us drove a well-loaded, rented moving van more than 700 miles (through the fiery smoke of yet another disaster in…