My Hometown USA

I stop…I drop Age isn’t a number… It’s a force, driving me to deteriorate daily, mentally and physically…. It is however, a privilege. How will I choose to live my twilight years?  Can I overcome the temptation to slow it down? To embrace the rocking chair mentality….to pronounce myself too old for such…. Never. Even as I write this I am in pain. I cannot give up pushing myself to hike trails, go on adventures, and mild as they may be to some, I am doing it how I want to. I am and have never been a thrill seeker. My mountain hike is about the journey, the freedom from concrete, and the view. Roan Highlands, The Balds 2017 Yosemite Obstacles: I injured my hip 4 years ago trying to show off to my twin boys on a bicycle ride… Flashforward, two years ago, I decide to see what damage I did and fix the thing. An MRI revealed arthritis, no fixing. My pain now comes from a re-injury to the area. Instead of allowing the slo...

Published January 19, 2011  The Picayune Item Cody the Cavapoo I looked around one day for an escape hatch, an exit door, a Calgon bath but as usual,I found no way to relieve myself of a moment of mom erosion. For ten days the kids had been home because of a wonderful event, nine inches of snow in North Alabama. At least, wonderful at the onset, but by the tenth day I was ready for the kids to start back to school. Being a mother and wife isn’t all it’s cracked up to be … some days Struggling through this familiar adversity, at a moment of intense agitation with the people I live with, I looked down at my dog of nearly two years, Cody, and made the statement, “Oh, to have your life!” Which got me thinking, how wonderful to be a pampered pooch. I am not saying all dogs have it made, but here in America, it can be ridiculous— the luxurious lifestyles of a canine. Doggie spa’s, doggie retreats, and doggie entertainment are a big business. Poor Cody lives a no...

Checking off an Item from my Bucket List: Growing up in South Mississippi, in the rural area of Caesar, one of my fondest memories is hanging outside, and especially at night. For some reasons, snakes, spiders, ticks, and any other creepy crawler didn't hinder me from participating in this nightly activity... My little mind was always creating and dreaming. So, when those seasonal visits of fireflies filled the woods across the street from my home, I was there, watching in awe...mesmerized by the beauty and somehow the miracle of it all. I pretended the swirling c olorful swarms of flashing lights were really faeries and I was the only one to see them. Magic was all around. From dreamy-eyed child to realistic adult, those precious moments of being immersed in fairy world are gone. Or at least, I thought so, until the opportunity to experience the synchronized firefly event at Elkmont Campground in the Smokies. This weekend, I will be that...