Old Friend

Yesterday, I saw an old friend for the first time since he left Oklahoma, many years ago. Honestly, I had forgotten about him. Now, isn’t that sad? Please don’t tell him this. But there he was, looking as happy and bright as he had when our friendship was new. He is a well-seasoned traveler and, […]

The Artist

The Artist

She was born Lydia Head  in South Carolina in 1824 and married James Barker in 1847. Lydia and James worked on their farm in Georgia. Life must have been hard but good for Lydia until something happened to change it all. The Barker family was about to go to church. James was sitting in the […]

Oils and Thinking

Oils and Thinking

It had been a long time since I’d painted in oils. Oh, I’d gotten canvas boards, paints, brushes, all the paraphernalia, but then, I just left them tucked away. The thing of it was, I was intimidated. Pencil sketches, watercolors, Prismacolor–all those media were familiar to me, as oil once was, so why did I […]

No Oxen; Clean Stall

No Oxen; Clean Stall

My backyard, like my grandchildren, has grown through stages. A horse tire swing once hung by a tree limb, a swimming pool sat under the maple, a playground set took up a hunk of the back yard. Then, there were muddy places, bare of grass which were obstacle courses for small cars and trucks, a […]

Waiting for Old Man Winter

Waiting for Old Man Winter

Here I sit–waiting. And looking out of my window on the world. Everything is about the same color–gray. It isn’t, really, I guess–the leaves are brown, neighbor’s house is red brick and his car is black but, if you’ll forgive my saying so, everything looks blah and gray. Is the weatherman right or will he […]

Filling in the Blanks with Song

Filling in the Blanks with Song

  The next time you face a lull in conversation, fill in the blank with a song. You’ll be surprised at what flavor it lends to any subject. Yesterday’s critique had music, art, and literature. Plus samples of homemade butterscotch pie, chocolate chip cookies, and coffee. Each Cozy Critter received a pen with the logo, […]