My kid called from the Mohave Desert. (And I’m not speaking metaphorically.) Tent up, flapping in the desert breeze. Backpack and bottles strewn about like her bedroom used to be. Her skin freckled & parched from trekking 130 miles in the heat. It’s her third leg hiking the 2,650-mile PCT. A photo chirped my phone... Continue Reading →
Reading Dr Seuss before bed has become our thing. Grandpa is in charge of tickle-tests, 4-wheelers, Oreos and milk. Climbing up, we snuggle under blankets and sheets one, two, three. Eager at what we know is coming: shoulder to shoulder giggling over zany characters, tongue twisters, elephants in trees. Lights burn way past bedtime, laughter... Continue Reading →
I’ve little interest in Christmas. I’m excited about Christ. If it were up to me, we wouldn’t have a tree. But I love the man who carries this stuff up. Meticulously picking each piece out. Humming and singing as he goes. Gathering and printing addresses. Stamping and mailing cheer wishes. Though not about presents and... Continue Reading →
For as long as I can remember fear has been the driving force of my existence. I wasn’t comfortable leaving mom’s side. And even at her side, fear stayed close by. Various quotes crossed my path this past year aimed at abolishing fear. But I’ve never known fear to stop for a smart phrase. The... Continue Reading →
First the bitter. I’ve never lost a loved one, before today. Sunken eyes, dragging form cause me to fear this will be the last moments all four of us will be together. Once we cover recent therapies and medical realities, we hear his hoarse voice faintly say, “I’m reading Job. In chapter 5 today.” Glancing... Continue Reading →
I wanted to move. In the last 5 years I must have told my hubs a hundred times, "This looks like a beautiful place to live!" (Skirting around the subject is my strong suit.) I'm living on the same road I grew up on. I say that like it's the worst. Like I'm 14, moaning... Continue Reading →
My Mama is not to be trifled with. She and Dad left suburban life broke, but determined to give their kids what they never had. Owning land, breeding animals, and growing fields in wide open spaces was the backdrop for a family that sticks together. Before my sister and I arrived Mama birthed two boys, breech.... Continue Reading →
JoAnn Downs Alo 