LOUISE: High School Reunions
I have always loved high school reunions and have attended nearly every one of mine. Of course, graduating with a class of 18 students in a little country school (and we were a large class), you can see why we have “all-school” reunions rather than by classes. In our rural community, everybody knew everyone so…
Read More >LOUISE: Loving Jay
April brings a birthday to my son, Jay, as well as tender thoughts on raising a child with special needs. In these 36 years there is little I haven’t experienced. I have seen the best and worst in people, from those who were afraid to touch my child, seeming to fear that Down Syndrome was…
Read More >LOUISE: LOVE YOU FOREVER!
Forty-six years ago my handsome young, soldier-husband placed a wedding ring on my finger and kissed me as his wife for the first time. Less than 12 hours later, we stood in front of his dark, Army barracks with snow falling and said our goodbyes before he went overseas. 15 months later Carl came home…
Read More >LOUISE: Dreaming About Vacations
Winter has definitely arrived along with the first snow. I was hoping this would be our first winter without the white stuff and I apologize to snow lovers, but the past two years of snow and ice were enough to last me a lifetime. Cold winters make me long for a warm beach, and yes,…
Read More >LOUISE: Hello Neighbor!
This cold January weather brings some “moving” experiences to my mind. Though my family is far from nomadic, we have lived in 10 different houses during our 45 years of marriage. Our first move came when my husband Carl and I abandoned our tiny one-bedroom duplex in Tulsa for a 12’ x 52’ two-bedroom mobile…
Read More >LOUISE: Heavenly Christmas
I can’t believe it’s December with Christmas around the corner. Another first without my husband. Just got through Thanksgiving and now comes the “holiday of all holidays.” To tell the truth, I would like to skip Christmas. In fact, I’d like to skip the whole month of December with all its festivities. I’m not feeling…
Read More >LOUISE: My Gratitude Journal
It has been nearly six months since I began my journey of grief. Half a year without my husband, Carl, beside me. Feels like an eternity. In these six months I have learned there is no right or wrong way to grieve and no one takes the exact journey as another. Grief is very personal…
Read More >LOUISE: Indiana Jones & Jones
The trip was going to be an adventure, along with some research for an art history degree. Our oldest son, Aaron and a friend were planning to travel to the jungles of Mexico. He asked his dad to go along. I gave Carl the look that said, “The jungle? No way!” Aaron was grown so…
Read More >Louise: Se����orita Bell
Mentors are often known for their eccentricities. Zella Bell was no exception. She portrayed the perfect image of an old maid with her tall, lean stature, wire-rimmed glasses and mousey brown hair pulled back in a tight little roll at the nape of her neck. But even though she was unmarried and in her middle…
Read More >Louise: A Dog Named Mona
We should have known that our son, Aaron, was too young for a pet, but being young and naïve ourselves, my husband and I thought the lab puppy would be a perfect companion for our two and half-year-old son. We were wrong. Bridgette was already six months old and had outgrown that cuddly puppy stage….
Read More >Louise: Crossing Over
The Love of a Lifetime
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