Today I am grateful for family and friends. 2015 ended with a big slab of meat, oysters over coals, laughter, an incredible prayer, beer, an after-dark kickball game and a crazy project. Kids laughed, adults cried. All survived. I think. In the process I took 1127 photos. Most were uniform portraits of all present. Looking […]
So, watching “Annie” with your adopted Haitian daughter can be actually incredible. On so many different levels the classic Albert Finney version sets a standard. Cinematic quality combined with beautiful choreography join the plot and excellent cast to warm the soul. I didn’t expect to be so moved by the orphanage scenes. With Lenia pressed […]
She sings “Whatcha gonna get me for my birthdaaaaaaay?” So I’ve been sitting at the kitchen table for the past 2+ hours with Lenia sitting next to me. She needs. What began as a quick Christmas ordering while eating leftover (steak, potatoes and onions warmed in a cast iron skillet) turned into a comfortable session […]
Why? I struggle with Uggs left everywhere in the house, dirty dishes left on the counter, and the magnitude of laundry generated each week. But this day I care less. I have lost my grandmother. She took me to church. She made cornbread salad. She worried. She collected Precious Moments figurines. She led a family […]
As the trees shed their deep greens exchanged for yellows and oranges we are reminded. Winter is approaching. Along with cool air, college football and bonfires we are also reminded of influenza. Just as the highly paid college football coaches form their game plan for the weeks ahead, each year some of the best minds […]
How do I teach a thirteen-year-old Haitian daughter the difference between earning something and surviving? Wait a minute. Maggie’s knee is bleeding. She just learned to ride her bike and things went a bit awry. “What Emma?” “Why do you want to go float the river in Townsend with a friend when you swore you […]
Date: June 1, 2014 at 1:51 PM Location: 36.0845° N, 83.9675° W Weather: 81° Cloudy Sitting in the kitchen watching the kids enjoy the pool. Smiles. Thousands of awkward jumps from the diving board. Planning a moto-trip with friends. Attempting to convince them 250 miles per day is doable. The Blue Ridge Parkway in […]
I have returned once again to the Mancave. “Frozen” has finished. Girls tucked. I recline in my sitting chair. Let it snow. Let it go. Let…. This night is different. ALL are here. The past week has been unlike any. Hours spent in the back of a truck seeking elusive documents, hours spent struggling to […]
Driving the kids to school on another Friday. “Goodbye.” “Make good choices.” “Love you.” Now off to work. As I head South on Oak Ridge Highway my eyes are drawn toward a yellow break in the clouds. A white puffy jet stream streaks through the sky. As I slow for a red light I realize […]
