Dancing on Fly Paper

May 22nd, 2010 - It’s cloudy and still over Silverlake today. No song birds twittering at the Evan’s compound yet. No ducks quacking for Connie to feed them their cracked corn. No geese honking overhead. No neighbors mowing yet or even out walking their dogs. Perhaps everyone is sleeping in to catch up on their rest.

It’s a good day for that. It’s 8:15 on a quiet Saturday morning.
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Fruits and Nuts - August 2010

I am sitting at my computer. It’s 6:35 a.m. on May 18th, the thirtieth anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. It’s a rainy Tuesday here in Silverlake. I’m writing to all my friends, family and to readers I’ve never met before, hoping to say something that will help all of you with your lives today.
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‘A Long, Loving, Leisurely Good-Bye’

It is Mid-May as I write this. My husband of twenty-seven years is in intensive care at Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland following a grand mal seizure that started last Thursday and is still producing after-shocks.
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Processing Grief

Who among us has not endured the loss of a loved one, a dear friend or a beloved pet? A relationship that once was and now is no more? Perhaps we were once allowed to play a role in someone’s life who no longer needs us or to work for an employer who no longer requires our services.
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Words can be like BRICKS

My good friend from Arizona, Angela Ditch, sent me these gems on her birthday recently. Great food for thought! Carpe diem! Seize the day! Savor every moment of your life.
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‘Staying connected with my father’

I am sad to say that it has been a very long time since I have maintained regular communication with my father. My Dad lives in Connecticut and is in his mid-80’s. His second wife passed away a few years back and my eight siblings and I all flew to Connecticut for that funeral. It had been about 26 years since we’d all been together before that! After my folks got divorced in 1980, things were just too painful and the family scattered, never to be close geographically again. Even today, 30 years later, it’s a fight to maintain communication with any family members, we’re all so busy with our separate lives.
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What makes Christianity so unique?

C.S. Lewis once arrived late to a meeting in which the participants were engaged in a lively discussion about what makes Christianity so unique. Unable to agree, they were hotly debating the relative merits of the Incarnation (God became man) and the Resurrection (Jesus rose from the dead) as to which was the most distinctive characteristic of Christianity. When Lewis learned what the reason for the rumpus was, he immediately commented: “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8, “By grace you have been saved.”
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A Big Thank You Party in Toutle!

I want to take this opportunity to share something exciting with all of you “honored citizens” (as Shari’s Restaurant calls you…)

If you’re 55 years old and up, you are invited to a special event being held at the Toutle Lake Multi-Purpose Room Thursday, February 18th, from 5:30 pm to 7.
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Prayer. A Place to Begin.

I’m writing this over Thanksgiving weekend. Yesterday, as we said the blessing over our delicious turkey dinner, I was thinking about how thankful I am for what we DIDN’T get this year:
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Life. A Burden or a Privilege?

It’s all about attitude. Two people can face the same situation. To one, it seems frightening and burdensome. To the other, a welcome challenge and opportunity.
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