Category Archives: Op/Ed Thoughts

Coming Home to Myself

Posted on July 31, 2019 by

For the ones who had a notion,A notion deep inside,That it ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive . . . Bruce Springsteen, “Badlands”, 1977 A few months before Bruce Springsteen wrote his elegaic anthem “Badlands”, I left my … Continue reading →

Posted in Alzheimer's, Autobiographical, Bruce Springsteen, Childhood, Courage, Creativity, Dementia, Education, Family, Freedom, Happiness, Home, Ideas, Knoxville, Love, Music, Op/Ed Thoughts, Tribute, Women, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Day the Music Lived

Posted on June 30, 2019 by

Buddy Holly’s quintessentially American music could have died with him in a plane crash in 1959. But the power of his idiosyncratic genius lives on. Our music is what defines us and our music is what saves us. Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Bruce Springsteen, Childhood, Creativity, Freedom, Happiness, Ideas, Knoxville, Music, Op/Ed Thoughts, Tribute | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Sights & Signs of London

Posted on March 31, 2019 by

My husband Kurt and I returned Friday from London—the historic city that is roiling with the unanswered question of how the United Kingdom can maneuver itself from membership in the European Union and not wreck its economy. The jury remains … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Creativity, Ideas, Op/Ed Thoughts, Travel, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blooming Out of Season

Posted on January 31, 2019 by

Nearly a decade ago I planted two camellias in container pots just outside the front door of our home. I never thought they would live for long–in containers, mind you– in the mercurial climate of East Tennessee. But my sister, … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Backyard Nature, Beauty, Blooming, Dance, Happiness, Ideas, John Irving, Music, Op/Ed Thoughts, Stage, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

Fearful Things

Posted on September 30, 2018 by

The last week has been excruciating. With tears in my eyes, I watched Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, an outstanding professor and psychology researcher, testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee of her gut-wrenching story of being sexually assaulted when she … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Childhood, Courage, Ideas, Op/Ed Thoughts, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ruining Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Posted on August 12, 2018 by

It all started with a discolored toenail and ended with losing most of my sense of taste. Yes, I went to my internal medicine doctor, who I have seen for years through my many episodes of gastro adventures. My first … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Courage, Food, Gluten free, Home, Knoxville, Op/Ed Thoughts, Women | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment