Category Archives: Love

His Heart’s Eye Is Open

Posted on December 31, 2018 by

I grieve for each passing year that Daddy is not here to fervently hope that Clemson can beat Alabama for the NCAA football Championship. I grieve that he missed by 11 months seeing his great-grandson Lincoln’s endlessly fascinating face. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Alzheimer's, Autobiographical, Childhood, Courage, Family, Happiness, Ideas, Love, Op/Ed Thoughts, Wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Finding Darcus

Posted on October 31, 2018 by

Since at least 1992, I have been searching for my grandmother, Darcus Montgomery. She gave birth to my father in April 1935, and only four months later–in early August–she died. Naturally I assumed Daddy’s mother died from childbirth complications, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Childhood, Courage, Dementia, Family, Happiness, Home, Knoxville, Love, Uncategorized, Women, Wonder | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Backyard Excavation

Posted on June 27, 2018 by

After 15 years in a house we loved but that had grown too large for us, we decided to downsize and drag fewer possessions through life. We wanted to move to an area (1) we could afford, (2) in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Backyard Nature, Beauty, Family, Freedom, Happiness, Home, Ideas, Knoxville, Love, Music | 8 Comments

Big Hair, Blue Eye Shadow, and Cassette Mix Tapes

Posted on May 31, 2018 by

In February when I was packing to move into our new house, I found my record collection of 45s in a wooden crate holder I bought at the long-defunct record store we used to go to called Record Bar. For … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Creativity, Joy (Joie de General), Love, Music, Op/Ed Thoughts, The Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ode to Little Man

Posted on December 1, 2017 by

I have a dark-eyed, adorable obsession: the Little Man who a month ago was born into our lives. Last year my son Justin married the love of his life Tracy. From their love, has come their son Lincoln, the already … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Childhood, Courage, Freedom, Happiness, Ideas, Love | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Daddy’s Ro-phorisms

Posted on November 30, 2017 by

When I was growing up Daddy used to drive me crazy with his corny aphorisms for every situation. We didn’t have the money to eat at the fancier restaurants such as Shoney’s–yes, we were indeed that poor. Mama and Daddy … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Childhood, Courage, Family, Happiness, Home, Joy (Joie de General), Love, Writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Taking Along Our Ghosts

Posted on September 22, 2017 by

When I was young, I saw the 1979 movie “Being There” starring Peter Sellers in his most provocative role as Chance, a simple, uneducated man who grew up and tended the garden on a great estate, and had never been … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Backyard Nature, Beauty, Courage, Creativity, Freedom, Friends, Ideas, Love, Screen, The Arts, Wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment