I remember from childhood a great excitement that preceded the arrival of company. Menu items were planned to please our anticipated guests. Linens were changed on beds for our guests.  We cooked food ahead to freeze for the event. Sometimes flowers might be arranged for the pleasure of our company. Activities for our guests were

Our friendships are precious treasures. People who make efforts to understand one another are treasures. People who make others feel loved and cared for are wonderful gifts. People who can make us laugh are marvelous mood boosters. What are the secrets of friendship.  Genuine ability to consider others above ourselves.  Unselfish thinking and acting.  Can

Shortly before Hurricane Isabel came roaring through the Peninsula leaving great swaths of us without electricity, I had moved my mother from her lovely apartment into a one room accommodation in her retirement home’s health care unit. When much of our normal schedules and activities were stopped by the storm and subsequent power loss, I

Not a word we hear much about these days. What does it mean to be content? Does it mean we don’t strive to improve ourselves or our situations? No, but it does mean we can be appreciative of where we are even while we take thoughtful steps to improve ourselves or our surroundings or situations.

Receiving a friend’s letter brings delight. Finding a text from a friend makes us glad. A friend’s phone call is also a happy event. But face to face time with a friend brings another important dimension to our relationship. When we are physically together, we are able to look into one another’s eyes. We can

The relationship of a grandma to her grandchild, regardless of what name she uses with her grandchild, offers wonderful opportunities and possibilities. If Grandma isn’t the main caretaker of a child, she can love without the necessity of correcting the child.  She can focus on the child’s positive characteristics and reinforce beneficial ones with smiles,

Snow is not an ordinary winter event where I live. As a result, it creates quite a stir. Snow closes activities that would not close in other climates. Schools close. People not proficient at driving in the white, skiddy stuff stay home. The mere thought of snow creates a rush on grocery stores for supplies

“You can look at it differently.” My mother would say when I was perturbed about some interaction with a friend that had upset me. “How about assuming that your friend didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” Then she would suggest another way to interpret the situation. “Maybe she was just unhappy because someone else hurt

I clapped my hands in delight after I set up my tree and turned the switch to see if the lights still worked this year. I was delighted at the twinkle of the lights. The lights still worked for this year.  There are so many opportunities in December to see decorations that make us smile

I’m not sure if the next generation has embraced Christmas cards as much as mine has, but regardless they remain a blessing.  Even if it is only once a year, a card from longtime friends who no longer live nearby brings delight. If it also contains a sentence or two beyond those printed on the