What a shock to learn that my sweet, soft-spoken friend had been a guard at a women's prison. The job was rough, the demands stringent, and the circumstances often mirrored a nightmare. But armed with her gun, a sense of security must have eased her tension. Her...
I took my grandson's and granddaughter's hands as we entered the huge cruise ship. "Look, this ship is so big, we even need an elevator to get to the decks way up high." They oohed and aahed. "And did you know there are three swimming pools and even a wall-climbing...
A group of friends and I chatted during lunch at an Asian restaurant last Sunday. After we finished, the usual thing happened. A waitress approached the table with a tray. "Fortune cookies for you,” she said with a lovely accent. Although I don’t believe in that...
We all want to win, to triumph and reach success. But if you fail in these three areas, winning might not come your way. The lady in this picture with me is sweet as can be. But inside, there’s a tenacious, driven woman. Not only is she a mechanical engineer with a...
Turbulence made us shake and jostle up and down and from side to side. We were about 20 minutes before landing in Orlando when the announcement came: "Ladies and gentlemen, turbulence is too severe for us to walk down the aisle," the flight attendant said. "We'll go...
"Goals for the new year? Are you kidding? My goal is just to survive another day," my friend said. Can you almost feel her heavy heart? It's a common thing. Facing a new year, new issues and a new future, uncertainty gnaws. We wonder about what tomorrow will bring....
We spread our towels and stuck our beach chairs into the sand this past Wednesday. My brother, his wife, hubby, and I chatted while soaking the sun rays at Cocoa beach. Though it was a windy day, the warmth caressed our skin. Then with no warning, we felt a few...
What joy, the plane landed a bit earlier in Quito, Ecuador. My friend would be waiting for me and we'd be on our way to our week of ministering to those affected by the earthquake. The airport employee who guided me out of the plane grabbed my bags and led me toward...
"We went to the library to take a class to learn about preventing Alzheimer's," my friend said. "Good idea," I said, "but aren't our parents the ones who need help in this department?" My friend began naming the things one can do to keep the memory sharp. "There are...
No airplane flight has ever been boring for me. I hear stories and details from fellow passengers that make me think, surprise me at times but more often, they become fodder for my writing. Here is the latest one: "Oh, I was really hoping this would be the one," the...