Yesterday afternoon, we got a good, old-fashioned thunderstorm with rain! We even had a sprinkling of hail–not much, thank goodness. I’m so grateful and so are the grass and flowers. The roadside ditch where the children used to race their boats right after a rain, was a turbulent little stream. Trees were swaying, my little […]

Dry Thunderstorm
Last night, we had another dry thunderstorm–the second one this month. According to what I’ve read, these are common in western states during late spring and early summer, but, for goodness sake! Arkansas is not west. I’d just as soon not have them. Caused by excessive heat and dry air, they present a lot of […]

Southern Summer Nights
Southern summer nights–a hint of honeysuckle on an errant breeze, the cicadas’ grating song. From a tangle of tree limbs, an owl asks his eternal question. Past and present blur into one. This could be a hundred years ago, or it could be now. The evenings are the same. People move through, one era closes […]

A Voice From the Darkness
At last, the turn-off to the house came in sight. I yanked the steering wheel. The car slid, then righted itself. Braking at the end of the drive, I leaned my head on the wheel, breathed a prayer, and tried to think of what to do next. I pushed my purse under the front seat […]

A Muffin for Breakfast
I had planned to bake them for a long time. Something always stood in my way. Last time, I’d already started and realized I didn’t have enough flour. I substituted corn meal, but it didn’t work. So, yesterday, I checked supplies and realized I could give it a second try. I wanted to bake my […]


