There are a lot of crazy misconceptions about depression. About anxiety. About chemical dependency. About bipolar disorder. About mental health…
The Film Festival
This was the fifth year of the Full Bloom Film Festival in Statesville and it was a fun weekend. I’d…
Friday Fun in Statesville, NC
A great night in Statesville, NC. First we went to cheer on a locally based charity, Purple Heart Homes. They’re…
A Period of Obsession
So today it begins. My period of obsession. The Gordon Bennett Balloon Race (or the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett) will…
Taking a Break
If you’re without a job, why not get take a day off from the hunt now and again? I did…
Peace From the Inside Out
It’s 9/11….we rarely ever call it September 11th anymore, do we? For those of us who remember the day, we…
The Caterpillar and the Butterfly
I was walking to my car last night with my friend Doug and he pointed out this caterpillar. It was…
These Works of Art
I found this the other day. Well, truthfully someone else found it and mentioned it on Facebook and I had…
Weekends Are For Ballooning
My friend Jay is a student balloon pilot (though already a fixed wing pilot) and I suspect will get balloon…
That Girl From the Past
“When we talk about communities, we seldom discuss the margins. But for every person nestled comfortably in the bosom of…
It’s Labor Day in the U.S.!
I’ve been running into a lot of Eleanor Roosevelt quotes lately. I believe this is a good one for the…
Suicide Prevention Month
I understand from my niece Sara that September 1 marks the beginning of National Suicide Prevention Month in the US.…
Chasing Balloons
When the weather is good in my town (Statesville, NC), the hot air balloons come out to play. A very…
Jobless – Part 12
So it’s getting a bit old. If you have been following along, I have been out of work since January…
Focus on the Nice
I love this. Maybe we should not only talk to kids this way, but also other adults. Does anyone else…
The Plank Challenge
This month I have been doing a plank challenge with a group of ladies through a group one of my…
Jobless – Part 13
Because I’m out of work, I’m missing open enrollment season in the benefits industry this year. I’m able to look…
Riley Flynn is One
Yesterday was my great niece’s birthday…on rainy today we celebrated at her party. There was sunshine inside. She is loved…
Lending and Borrowing
A friend borrowed my lawn mover. It’s been a couple of years now. It wasn’t a fancy lawnmower, it was…
Reading the Diary
I spend a lot of time in my car, and have become an avid listener of audiobooks. For some unknown…
The Census
I filled out my census survey today. As I said recently (when I filed for unemployment), is there anything like…
The Smoky Mountain Hot Air Balloon Festival
This weekend I traveled to Townsend, TN to crew for my friends Kat and Dale Pattyn’s hot air balloon Hyggelig…
Floating Down the River
Sometimes you just need a day to float and forget all your worries. It was my cousin Lea Ann’s last…
Another Summer Ended at Victory Junction
Today the summer staff at Victory Junction goes home….great young people with great dreams whom I suspect not only learned…
Jobless – Part 11
So…..it was that time when my severance pay ran out. Last week I began the process of filing for unemployment.…
Just a few pics from Victory Junction
Victory Junction is a camp in Randleman, NC that serves kids and their families.who have or had illnesses or other…
Too Soon
“No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away.” – Terry Pratchett “There is…
Bringing It Out in the Light
I’m a “just spit it out” kind of woman. It gets me in trouble sometimes, but I figured out a…
Einstein and Me
“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is…
The Birthday
I usually hate being the center of attention. Birthday attention particularly makes me want to squirm. Not that I don’t…
Jobless – Part 10
This week it will officially be six months since I’ve been out of work. The frustration level is starting to…
In the Box, Out of the Box 