The weatherman had predicted a beautiful Tuesday and the morning proved him right. Sun shone on snowbanks, sparkling with crystalized jewels. The temperature climbed above freezing and melting snow dripped from trees and the eaves of Rose Chapel’s parsonage. Pastor Williams’ small house sat only a few yards from the church. It looked […]
Whatever the Weather
Remember the children’s story about the sun and the cold wind and the bet they had? An old man was trudging down the road in the wintertime and the wind, boisterous and braggy, bet the sun that he could blow the old man’s coat off whereas the sun didn’t have that power. So, he blew […]

Wolf Moon
I can imagine it–an early day family, perhaps some of my Cherokee ancestors–sitting inside their warm house, hearth fire blazing, wind howling outside sounding eerily like the howl of a wolf. Wolves would be hungry this time of year, searching for prey that may have been hibernating safely in trees or caves. Sometimes, the wolves […]

Time to Change
Another time change this morning and then, we’ll have another in the spring. It’s a marker, like the seasons. Another November, another Sunday to change all the clocks in the house and in the car. The maple tree doesn’t care if silly humans try to save daylight hours. It has its own time clock. It […]

Edging into Fall
Would you believe it’s 55 degrees this morning? Yesterday morning, very early, the thermometer registered 49. It never fails to surprise me, each fall, when the earth begins to cool toward winter. Yet, the same thing happens year after year, and to me, it’s reassuring. Yesterday morning, when I poured water into my coffee maker, […]

Chapter Two, The Key
What had caused the tear in the beautiful lining? Maybe I could repair it. Although I wasn’t much of a seamstress, surely I could mend that. I ran my hand around the lining, noting its smoothness. What was this? Something hard was lodged between the lining and the leather. Turning the purse upside down and […]

