When is it okay to have dessert first? Outside of Portland, Oregon, the Multnomah Falls are legendary. Nestled into the Columbia River Gorge, this double-decker cascade of water drops a heart-stopping six hundred and twenty feet. The falls are a breathtaking treat that I only need step from the car to take in. Dessert first,…
One of my mom’s favorite sayings was “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.” My family’s history is littered with beautiful souls whose lives were robbed of breaths but rendered bountiful in breathless moments. This hug is one of those moments. This…
On a recent visit to Thomas Jefferson’s second home, Poplar Forest, I was prepared to learn something interesting about Jefferson. I was expecting to feel at home here in this cozy get-away, so comfortable that I could envision hanging out with TJ here. I was not disappointed. Despite being a public figure, Jefferson was quite…
My husband has a sixth sense for when I’ve dropped into Revision Hell. Maybe it’s my snippy tone or my random “this is crap” outbursts or just my sullen and vacant look across the room. Nonetheless, he knows when I’m struggling. This past spring, after such an outburst or two, he suggested—no, he demanded—that we…
The pursuit of writing requires having the words to explain unexplainable emotions and circumstances. There are times when the circumstance is so heavy that words fail me. Remembrance around 9/11 is one of those occasions. Finding words to remember a friend is another. Still, so many words come to mind from this picture. This is…
I have a thing about great vistas. I love them. There is something about seeing clearly from all sides in many directions and for miles. I suppose this love of a wide view comes from hiking. That feeling of reaching the top and being rewarded with a spectacular view is the motivation that keeps a…
