Earlier this year when my husband and I pruned back our fig trees, we agonized over every cut. We had researched, read, and watched videos from several sources, determined to “measure twice, cut once,” as my daddy always says. One tree was just a few twigs and leaves, a new variety in its first growing …
Floundering
There’s no mahi in the freezer, I realized as I made my way though the kitchen, searching the staples for what I’d make for dinner. There are a few things I try not to let run out completely because I can offer a meal that nearly anyone will enjoy on short notice. Mahi is my …
What Sort of People?
“I need to open the window, Lolly. Mr. Leo and Mr. Noel are cutting grass. What kind of snack can we take them?” The rush of Thomas’s words matched his sprinting pace as he rounded the corner to the kitchen. He’d heard the mowers cranking and lost no time in getting into place for the …
Know Him
We sat in the front corner booth by the windows for lunch. My daughter and I sandwiched her two kids between us, alternating bites with juggling babies. Our view of the breezeway and the front parking always provides a great distraction. People walking by, driving out, or coming in often smile or wave to the …
Pockets Filled With Holes
“Do you have a pocket? No. Would you like for me to hold that for you until you’ve finished building?” I accompanied my daughters and grandkids to a local hardware store’s monthly kids building event. The toddlers were chomping at the bit to begin pounding away with their pint sized hammers while their moms unfolded …
What Does Repentance Look Like?
“I need to ask you a question.” When the girls and I are together and turn our attention from the children to chat, this is Thomas and Amelia’s favorite interrupter. It’s their attempt at polite manners. “What do you need?” “Timothy was trying to knock over my tower or Ezra jerked that from me.” “That’s …
Time To Be Tested
My morning was planned around two scheduled grocery pick ups. Many of the retailers who transitioned to pick up during pandemic half a decade ago have continued to offer this option. I first used it during my cancer treatments but have continued because of the convenience. Also I am an inefficient shopper. I go too …
Like Father Like Son
Now that my son has a son who’s a year old, it’s fun to watch for similarities between Ezra and his dad, things I remember so clearly when I see them fleshed out in his little boy. He doesn’t have his dad’s dimples as his sister does, much to his mom’s chagrin. He has one …
Compared With When?
I despise needing reading glasses but I reach for them more and more often. My husband and our three children have worn glasses since they were teens. Our grandchildren, like their parents before them, look suspiciously at Poppy when he takes off his glasses to wipe his eyes. They’re trying to find the familiar face …
Living Testimony
Some days it’s difficult to remember who I’ve talked to or where I heard something by the time Paul and I sit down to dinner. I’ve promised to pass along a message from one of our kids or I wanted to share an amusing story about one of the grandkids. I’m reminded of a childhood …
A Fitting Reply 