Dad was diagnosed with cancer on April 21, but I had the feeling he was sick the week before. About the same time that my gut began to tighten, the huge oak tree fell at my studio. As soon as I saw it, I knew my father was about to take on his last challenge and that it would probably prove too much for him. And it was. He crossed over to be with Mama on Memorial Day. He fought a tough, pain-filled battle for over a month and did so with the same dignity, strength and determi

Georgia got so cold that her pansies couldn’t grow… But her warm Helleborus melted the snow. She grew a lush carpet while the moon watched overnight…. She bakes, freezes and turns fog to shine, a clever muse with a magical mind. Letting you feel what you want to believe, As she turns, winks and brings you to your knees. #Poetry #Love #Georgiaweather #nature #Helleborus

#1967 #Love #otisRedding

Leave it up to Mick and the boys – they do have a way with words. But they are right you know – we do spend an inordinate amount of time looking for and struggling to acquire what we think we want. Inevitably, however, once we grasp the golden chalice, the allure fades and we move on… …to the next thing or situation we think we must have. And often, what we think we want turns out to be a curse, and that which we have needed all along has been patiently waiting in the wings.

American Idol saluted these guys last night.  The contestants sang songs written by The Beatles…those magical song masters from our youth…they penned the tunes to which we  fell in love, fell out of love, lost love, found love, and learned the meaning of love. One of the contestants Kree Harrison sang “A little Help From My Friends.” Her rendition brought tears to my eyes. Of course, that’s not saying much…I’m a sentimental romantic; but the words reminded me of how long we’v

My maternal grandmother’s name was May Yon Dickey Freeman.  She married my grandfather, Henry Cuthburt Freeman, on December 4, 1918. She was 32 years old and teaching school at the Dickey School in Sugar Valley, Georgia, with her father, William Franklin Dickey. She had already entered the ranks of old-maid-hood when “Pop” popped the question; and to everyone’s surprise, she said “yes.” The newlyweds moved from the North Georgia mountains to Weston in South Georgia. They gave

It’s right there in I Corinthians 13. The writer enumerates what love is not and what it is. And, to no surprise, some of the attributes we value the most are what it is not: success, intelligence, good intentions, and public generosity. Furthermore, the qualities which we consider weak embody the complicated, yet very simple, emotion: patience, kindness, humility, contentment, tolerance, gentility, forbearance, and honesty. And honesty is perhaps one of the most difficult th

North Georgia creek COMFORT: Where is it found? Webster’s defines the enviable state as being “free from worry, pain, or trouble.” It is what we humans seek from the time we are born until we die. Having it brings joy; losing it causes pain; and searching for it creates anxiousness. We look for comfort all the time and everywhere. If you don’t believe me, do a simple poll of the ads you see, hear, and/or read in one hour. How many are related to finding love, finding the perf

“Some Kind of Wonderful“, which was written by John Ellison and first recorded by his group, Soul Brothers Six, in 1967, was and continues to be one of my favorites. It only made it to  number 91 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but remains a classic today, as attested by some very young performers in Wednesday evening’s American Idol competition (scroll down the article a bit and click on video). Here’s to love, love month, and love songs…three things of which I hope I never t

One of my favorite love stories…told to me often by both my mom and dad. I wrote this for The Harris County Journal in 2005. In 1942 Curtis Avery and the other young men in the University of Georgia senior class who had taken Advanced ROTC, were commissioned and graduated early. The bombing of Pearl Harbor had pushed America into a World War. These college students suddenly became soldiers. “I came home to Jones Crossroads and had been here for about two days when I got my or

Jackie DeShannon… I fell in love with this song in 1965 and it continues to be my national anthem for not only February, the love month, but for the rest of the year, too…hope you enjoy. #JackieDeShannon #Love #music