She walked to the front of the room and slid a daisy into the vase.  Speaking softly, almost as if to the flower, she murmured, “For my dear mother who passed away two months ago.”  I was on the second row, about to sing with a small group at this hospice memorial service.  The poignant flower ritual was designed to honor and remember the deceased. (more…)

Would you believe that exactly 230 years ago, my great-great-great-great grandmother traveled from East Tennessee along the Cumberland River to help establish Nashville?  For 6 months, she endured harsh conditions, wild adventures, and Indian attacks.  My mother brought this odyssey to life in her novel Perilous Journey.

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Just a few years ago, mother’s day for me meant breakfast in bed, big sloppy kisses, and hand-made cards proclaiming “I love you mommy.”  Now, with a house full of teenagers, I might get a meal with them and maybe, if I’m lucky, a mumbled “happy mother’s day.” (more…)

My daughter Victoria has just turned 13.  There are now 4 teenagers in my household – 3 of whom are female. Unbelievable!  Can you imagine such a concentration of hormones under one roof? (more…)

This blog was selected as one of the top finalists in the 2010 RDC “Earth Day” contest.

I’m not going to tell you about being awestruck by the northern lights on a warm Alaskan night or of side-stepping a horned toad on a dusty Texas trail (neither of which I’ve done).  Nor am I going to tell you about breathlessly watching a star fall in the inky sky or of falling to my knees in wonder to examine a wildflower (both of which I’ve done). (more…)