Just after five, I woke. It was Easter morning, though I had not yet registered the fact. The sound of little doggy toenails clicked, clicked, clicked across my hardwood bedroom floor. I bolted out of bed, pulled on my socks and jetted after the small hairy beast. I knew exactly what he wanted. It was … Read more
I leaned in close to Daddy. It was a mere two weeks until Christmas, 2011, as well as a handful of days before my daddy’s 77th birthday. He barely responded to my touch. Daddy was dying. I told him, his baby was home. I promised that I wouldn’t leave. I was there to stay. No … Read more
I had to be at least five years old, when I first saw her. Mother, Daddy, and I were walking through one of the larger department stores in Columbia, South Carolina. We were making our way to the toy section, where the store kept the most wonderful baby doll perched high-up in a glass case, … Read more
Thanksgiving is past. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us. Oh, what a pitiful shame! The holiday season is in full swing. And thus, it seems that across the country, the precipitousness of winter has descended upon us. As I sit here typing this morning, rain from darkened skies pelts my rooftop. The weatherman … Read more
Every artist knows that the highs and lows of life play an undeniable role in what we create. Personally, some of my work I hold as most meaningful to me has been that which is born out of trial. This month, we’ll discuss Leanna Sain’s new book, Hush, and explore how hardship helped shape the … Read more
Let’s talk NASCAR. It’s fast. It’s exciting. Grown men and women fuse cushy in their chairs, whooping and hollering at television screens, watching as their favorite driver’s circle round and round on the tracks. Little toy cars string in two long rows across the floor. A little boy lies on his belly, making curious sounds … Read more
I grew up in South Carolina. But currently I live in California. At the height of our fire season, and with strong winds forecasted for the upcoming week, PG&E the utility company who provides electricity for much of the state, has announced rolling blackouts to minimize the risk of wildfire. As I prepare for the … Read more
I’ve become fascinated with uncovering the roots of my past. In my adventures through note and written record, I find folks said to be family. Many are strangers to me, ancestors of which I’ve never heard. Sifting through books and collected papers, names leap off the pages, make an impression, and attach to me. I … Read more
When I was a girl growing up in the South, we lived in the country until I was 7 years old. The view out my front window was my grandparent’s house across the road. Their yard was decorated with looming oaks, Granddaddy’s car shed, Granddaddy’s plowed field, and the dense woods that wrapped us snug … Read more
I can still hear daddy singing it… Little Brown Church in the Vale. It’s one of those songs that always takes me back to a simpler and sweeter yesteryear. And when I open my heart to listen, I picture a small brown church set safely in deep quiet shadows. Nestled in a damp cluster of … Read more