Month: August 1999

  • mental illness comes to family

    Mental illness leaves the best of homes bewildered by its presence. We were caught off guard when it visited us. Our usually placid, calm family member was agitated, fell easily into tears and experienced things out of our realm of understanding. At the hospital’s locked ward, we sat in a family circle and listened to…

  • More than 15 minutes and it save me nothing

    Their ads proclaimed that a 15-minute phone call could save me up to $200 on insurance costs. We had just received our six months insurance bill which for the first time had four vehicles and four drivers. At 8 p.m. Friday I decided to make that 15-minute call. First, they wanted to know how much…

  • Canning ends with move to AR

    As a college student the pioneering spirit called me. I yearned for the experience of gardening and canning its produce. I married a man with a similar dream. He raked the freshly plowed garden, made furrows, planted seeds and spent his weekend eliminating weeds. He relished each piece of fresh produce from our garden that…

  • beignets in the French Quarter

    Eighteen years ago I had my first beignet in the French Quarter of New Orleans. I decided it was time for another. So when we visited my son’s family in New Orleans I asked that we go have beignets. Saturday afternoon we parked just outside the Quarter. Hubby and son carried baby and toddler piggy…

  • Growing up with baby

    Our grandson is the jolliest baby I have ever met. He laughs, chuckles, grins and eagerly reaches out to anyone willing to pick him up. At least he did until separation anxiety hit. Suddenly he is afraid of anyone he hasn’t seen in a couple of days. That’s when this wee lad’s troubles began with…