Perennials Blog Posts
Finger Paint With Your Peeps
I’ve reached a milestone today. . . Yay, it’s launch day for my book, Tell the Truth About Adultery. I can’t say that this is a dream come true, because adultery is not anyone’s desired dream. However, finding a publisher who believed in the merit of my story and taking a gamble on that story having an audience, well now, that is a dream come true!
It Hurts
Chronic illness is exactly what it says; it is consistently vexing and continually troubling. I have lupus, a chronic autoimmune disorder that gifts me every few months with a new twist on its ramifications. Lupus’ symptoms don’t vanish with treatment, but ebb and flow depending on how diligent I am with self-care and how mercurial the progressive disease decides to be.
Ice Cream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!
Back in April, after our first warmup, my youngest grandchild asked my husband, “Paw Paw, is it summer enough to make your ice cream? I think I can do it all by myself this year. You know I’m 9 now!”
Never Alone, No, Never Alone
An old gospel chorus is buzzing in my ears today reminding me that even when I do feel lonely, God’s assurances state otherwise. The chorus goes, “No, never alone, no never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.”
In the hope drenched dewy spring morning, when I’m confronted with the birds and bees exuberantly all-a-flutter doing their thing, I sometimes experience the opposite. I instead feel a sharp stab of being an outsider, alone with chronic pain, not belonging to the riotous activities surrounding me.
Perennials, Flowers Forever
Perennials are the roller coaster of the amusement park, the thrillers and architectural giants of the cottage style garden. They are plants that live for three years or longer. Most go dormant, returning better than before each season. Perennials operate like loyalty customer schemes where the longer they are planted, the more they reward you with spectacular profits year after year.
What’s a Blessing?
I was flipping through some old journal writings and came across an entry I had written after visiting my mom in 2014 in her assisted living apartment. She had been legally blind for at least a decade, so bringing a new person to visit presented a challenge. As usual, she faced and leaped over that hurdle.
Seasonal Retreats, Libraries
The first books I ever checked out of a library were from my elementary school in Beirut, Lebanon. I can still feel the cold tile floor I was sitting on cross-legged and eye level with the young reader books. We always had books at home, but this was a new supply every week! All I had to do was sign my name on a card and promise to return the books the following week undamaged. My love of libraries started at a tender age and has grown exponentially.
Disabled, but Spiritually Enabled
I started my doctoral studies in Curriculum and Instruction because I wanted to understand why our education system purges out students with disabilities from participating in post-secondary education. Their dreams of succeeding in college were being censored by a society that would prefer that they remain in the background. My students inspired me to chart a path for them through my doctoral studies, a path tailored for their advocacy.
Fruit Slush
June starts tomorrow! The days are longer, the children are out of school, the weather isn’t too hot yet, so close your eyes and imagine a perfect summer evening.
Lie, Who Me?
Can you remember what you got in trouble for the most as a child? In other words, what did your parents emphasize as the worst possible thing you could do? With me, it was lying. Telling the truth was expected and punishment came easier if I confessed and repented first.