“Louie Louie” and I sometimes cruise the highway together. It’s easy now to rock out to tunes from any era and I might be that girl you pass who is dancing in her seat belt. Old hits make me smile and none more than when they transport me back to the days of high school and Charles. I moved to Nashville my senior year. I came kicking of course and screaming “it’s my life!” “Help!” But “mama said” “papa had a brand new bag,” so come I did. But then, Charles was in my new senio

The son and daughter-in-law of dear friends are in China right now adopting their precious little girl, Willa. They've waited a long time and when the news came, this side of the world was just about dancing in our streets. They are sharing their entire story and all of it is worth reading, but today I want you to hear the tough part. There’s a lesson for us all and this young mother tells it far better than I ever could. Her words are accompanied by a photo of a wailing 16 m

I’m headed out of town to a small wedding this week. I wouldn’t miss it for, as a friend of mine used to say, all the tea in China. You don’t have to know the details to believe that this vow moment is a wow one. The ceremony will occur in the most unlikely of circumstances. Shakespeare would be perversely proud. The bride and groom have waited a long time to find each other, maybe wondering a little along the way if they ever would. While their love is pure, their path has b

In the hot summer of 1964, my father and my uncle found a spot on the riverbank of the Duck in Bedford County and declared the first family reunion. It wasn't even for their side of the family - they were the in-laws. Most of us kids were in high school or younger and this was a great adventure. We pitched tents. When someone found an old Martha Washington wood stove abandoned in the woods, dragged it up, and tied it to a tree, my grandmother made her grandmother biscuits. We

Reminders - sticky notes, to do lists, whatever - have always been a staple. Charles once looked at me with concern asking why my keys were in the refrigerator. Hello, I had food I didn't want to forget to take to work! Before he died, I probably had to be reminded a little too often to enjoy the moment. No more. A dear friend and I are at the beach this week with two teenagers and we savor the sand and the sass. She and I seem to hit the funny button every night around be

Moving is such a hullabaloo. Thinking of moving your stuff from point A to point B makes your stomach hurt. You just really want to get it there without too many of the other three M’s - meltdowns, major mishaps, or murder. Charles and I had our share of moves, but the worst was a return to the Nashville area. It was a corporate move so I (foolishly) felt safe leaving the movers at point A toward the end of the packing because I really needed to get back to middle Tennessee b

I said, let's all rest a bit. And they did. Sweet moments. Because God had created grands and dogs and cats. (Can you see the cat?) It was good.

Charles and I once lived in a neighborhood that wasn't too far from the developing Cool Springs area. This mall property is huge now, but back then the sprawl was in its infancy, with little more than a few gas stations selling soft drinks and snacks. But Moore’s Lane itself was busy becoming a busy connector road. We drove that road almost daily and often passed a tall, lanky, older gentleman walking on the side. That alone was dicey because the two lane was narrow and the