Opening Doors

Not knowing when the Dawn will come, I open every Door, Or has it Feathers, like a Bird, Or billows, like a Shore— Emily Dickinson I It is a blessing to be associated with the Iota Upsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International, a group of supportive and talented women educators, active and retired, who … Continue reading Opening Doors

Literary Texas: Robert E. Howard, Part 2

The home of Dr. and Mrs. Howard and their son Robert. Robert Ervin Howard--creator of Conan the Barbarian and the Sword and Sorcery genre of fiction, a prolific writer of pulp fantasy, speculative fiction, extreme sport fiction, westerns, and other heroic narratives--also wrote poetry. It will likely surprise no one, therefore, that much of that … Continue reading Literary Texas: Robert E. Howard, Part 2

Exhortation of the Dawn

Happy Groundhog’s Day! It is always a special day for me. My parents were married on Ground Hog’s Day. I used to tease them about such a romantic choice for the occasion. I suppose Valentine’s Day was out of the question. To each couple their own, I suppose. I decided to take a brief break … Continue reading Exhortation of the Dawn

New Year’s Eve

The Passing of the Year by Robert W. Service My glass is filled, my pipe is lit, My den is all a cosy glow; And snug before the fire I sit, And wait to feel the old year go. I dedicate to solemn thought Amid my too-unthinking days, This sober moment, sadly fraught With much … Continue reading New Year’s Eve

Welcoming Winter

This week, Christmas week, is supposed to be a cold one. So—winter is here. I am one of those hot-natured people who look forward to winter, when I don’t have to drive in ice or work outside for long periods. I adore the coziness of soups simmering on the stove, bread and cookies baking in … Continue reading Welcoming Winter

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Many of us of a certain age become nostalgic this time of year. For me, “the most wonderful time of year” is not a cliché we easily attach to the month of December. It is truth. Yes, sometimes memories swirling around in the chill winds at Christmastime can be as difficult as they are sweet, … Continue reading The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Over the River for Thanksgiving

Being a Texas girl, I remember how surprised I was to learn (at a not so tender age) that the long-time favorite “Over the River and Through the Wood” was a Thanksgiving song and, to make matters worse, that snowy old sleigh in the song was originally going to Grandfather’s house. With lines such as … Continue reading Over the River for Thanksgiving

An Ever-Fixed Mark

William Shakespeare's birthplace and childhood home. Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. Life is change. There is no way around it. People come into our lives--and leave. We grow up and eventually grow old. Our families change. In the following sonnet, William Shakespeare addresses one of the most important aspects of our lives and relationships--that of love. What … Continue reading An Ever-Fixed Mark

Shakespeare the Melancholy

I decided I would read a bit of Shakespeare this morning. It has been quite some time since I sat down with the bard. I was far from ambitious enough to start a play but thought I'd read a few sonnets, recalling it's really the sonnets I enjoy most. Time is a strange thing though. … Continue reading Shakespeare the Melancholy

October and Beyond

I Meant to Do my Work Today by Richard Le Gallienne I meant to do my work today But a brown bird sang in the apple tree, And a butterfly flitted across the field, And all the leaves were calling me. And the wind went sighing over the land, Tossing the grasses to and fro, … Continue reading October and Beyond