One Foot In Front of the Other

Last week I chose to take the "back roads" home from school.  The back road is tree-lined and in the spring and summer, the infinite shades of green are a treat for the eyes and the heart.  On this day, the trees seemed skeletal, their empty branches jutting into the cloudy sky making the day seem colder. What struck me as I drove was how so much was revealed without the leaves and shrubs.  I noticed a house being built several yards off the road; a small church nestled at the end of a long drive; a broken down chicken house that had fallen in on itself. After I got home, I thought about what I had seen and felt a real sense of comfort.  This winter has been a bittersweet time for my family and me.  With the death of my mother, neither Kenny nor I have parents living.   Lacy's health has deteriorated over the years.   The "trees" of our lives are pretty bare right now.  But like the landscape I saw on the way home, the loss of the leaves reveals what's b

On Thursday, Kenny and I braved the elements to go to the opening of an exhibit of our niece's art.  " Ephemeral Shrines" featured Lakey's headpieces that represented events or times in her life - ephemeral life - with intriguing themes like loneliness, life's balancing act, and the bittersweet memories of first love.   I've been mulling that word - "ephemeral" - around in my mind since Thursday.  "Lasting for a very short time; transitory; fleeting; short-lived; momentary:" These words are part of the definition.   Ephemeral  even  sounds  like a puff of wind.   As we sat with Lakey and listened to her explain how the various headpieces made their way from idea/vision/feeling to tangible art, I felt a connection to what she was voicing.  Although I don't create art, I do write this blog, and it is in some ways an account of this  ephemeral   life as we live it among our family and friends.   The Psalmist begs God for a

Snow is blanketing our part of the world.  We received about 10 inches of snow last week, and it's still here.  The temperature hasn't gotten above 23 in a couple of days.  It is unusual for Arkansas to get this much snow this early.  Last time we had a big snowfall, it was in February of 2011 and 22 inches stayed around for about a week.  Makes it seem like Christmas is already here. Those of us who have lost loved ones, and are losing our loved ones to HD, the holiday season is a mixed bag.  We are missing my mom this year, and Lacy is where he is in the HD onward march.  There are occasions now when he can't speak clearly, or at all.  He falls occasionally, and his moods are up and down.  In spite of all this, Lacy came home for about 3 hours on Thanksgiving day.  It was a wonderful time with everyone at our house and the good food was abundant. I find myself wanting to find happiness in the season, and I do to an extent.  There is always this check inside me.  I'