Category Archives: people

Oct18

“Bid Adieu”

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“Bid Adieu”

“Farewell”. “So long”. “Goodbye”. The French say “bid adieu”. In so many words to say, “the hummingbirds went south”. I miss them being just outside my atelier window while I write. They have been gone for a few days. No chance of the hummingbird’s survival here in the winter as every year. Especially this upcoming winter as I hear we are getting incredible amounts of snow in the Midwest. The persimmons and willy worms tell us the same. I hope the hummingbirds survive the current and future tropical storms with their return to Missouri in April or May of next year. Our ferns, lantana, arrowhead plant, and herbs have done well this long summer. This weekend our perennials are back in the basement as some 30’s temperatures were forecasted the northern outskirts of the metro St. Louis region having frost. It is the first time I heard the “F” word being used by the meteorologists this season. A farewell to fair weather.

There are other “goodbyes” taking place these days. The amount of items Dean and I have collected over the years! Since mid-summer we have been giving away and purging for many weekends and hope to finalize before hard winter sets in. I know of two silent auction events this autumn to contribute to. We think vintage stuff is cool. And if we keep some of our stuff much longer, they will be vintage! Books, home decor, old picture frames, hardware, old paperwork. If not giving away to family, friends, or charity, then to the trash or burn pile will these items go. “Sai la vie” is the other French term. “Oh, well!” There is no sense in keeping everything. My hopes are our kids will appreciate these efforts later when Dean and I are gone.

“All goes back to the earth and so I do not desire pride of excess or power, but the contentment made by men who have had little: the fisherman’s silence receiving the river’s grace, the gardener’s musing on rows.” ~ Wendell Berry

I am moving onto a new job in these next few days. I will finish the month with my culinary work at the senior agency I have been with for 3-1/2 years. I started training with another food service company that assists the parochial school at our church parish. Our church is 3 blocks away from our St. Charles home. This is an answer to prayer regarding the wintertime commute dilemma for me with my medical conditions of rheumatoid arthritis and a severe allergy to the cold. I will work about the same number of hours and pay rate but with less food volume and younger clients. Change is good and I embrace this new opportunity with enthusiasm. I will miss some co-workers but have afternoons off to visit the St. Charles and St. Peters Senior Centers from time to time.

Farewell to iced tea and flip-flops for a few months. My herbs came indoors this week. I used the Genovese basil in caprese pasta again and have more to use up this week. Autumn goodies like hot tea, pie, kuchen, soups, and apples being used in various recipes are a part of the menu changes these days. I want to try making this apple butter recipe I found online. Festive weekend outings like a Poe play, the church picnic, and an overnight at a unique boutique hotel in a small Missouri town have given us relaxing fun between chores and jobs. Writing continues to keep me occupied while inside. Year-round, almost daily words invade my brain that necessitate me to write. More recipes, stories, and poems develop for my next book. “Bid adieu” to silence.

“Tell your story.

Shout it. Write it.

Whisper it if you have to. 

But tell it.

Some won’t understand it.

Some will outright reject it.

But many will

thank you for it.

And then the most

magical thing will happen.

One by one, voices will start

whispering, ‘Me, too.’

And your tribe will gather.

And you will never

feel alone again.” ~ L.R. Knost

May10

Motherly Blessings

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Motherly Blessings

Motherly. Many of us carry motherly traits. We express them by baking cookies or berry crisp, making chocolate rose strawberries, brewing a cup of coffee, or steeping tea for those we love. We wipe the brow of a feverish head or kiss the bandaged knee after a fall on the sidewalk. We tuck in the child laying to rest for a nap or a favorite teddy bear situated on a bed. We sing a lullaby or write a poem. Comfort is conveyed. Those motherlike instincts come out in multiple ways. It is not just the women who are mothers, but also aunties, grandmothers, neighbors, men who are fathers, uncles, grandpas, or simply a kind soul that express this special care and love. It is the toddler mimicking their parent or grandparent in cradling their dolly, doggy, or kitten with a warm embrace. The birds, rabbits, and possums we share the earth with, they show their concern for their offspring and orphaned animals. I marvel at the care we have for other souls, humans and critters. Let us remember the downtrodden, forgotten souls within our reach. You don’t have to look far. Today, gift the mother figures in your life with your prayers, telephone calls, flowers, and trinkets that say “I love you”. Mother Mary, pray for us! Happy Mother’s Day!

Apr16

Life to the Soul

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Life to the Soul

Mother nature has a way of slowing life down, if attention is given to her. In the midst of busy days of culinary work, writing, and book events I stop to breathe and ponder the small creatures in my world. A small bird feeder sets outside my atelier window. As I word process today, the songbirds come savor the seedy suet. Sparrows, finches, and wrens alike share the provisions mostly without a fuss with each other. Last week we had a pair of Eastern bluebirds visit, my first time to witness this species at our in-town feeders. This past weekend while preparing for a book event, Dean found a swallowtail butterfly in our basement. We think a caterpillar morphed into this beautiful butterfly while housed on one of our perennials over the winter. Dean released it to the outdoors as the weather is warming up consistently each day. Our grandsons bring smiles to our faces and warm my soul with flowers. God’s handiwork is to be marveled. It really is the small things that bring life to the soul.

“But now ask the beasts and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth and let it teach you; and let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” ~ Job 12: 7 – 10

Mar23

A Spring of Dreams

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A Spring of Dreams

Ahhh, spring! Or is it summer?! The weather jumped a season! A few days ago, we captured some early spring by going south about five hours to Nashville, Branson, and Eureka Springs. These towns are some of Dean and I’s favorite places. We didn’t have a whole week in January or February that allowed for us to take off, so we decided early March was a good time as any. We get back and had three days of frigid winter weather, a couple of days of spring, then a couple of days it is summer, and now like the seesaw Missouri weather is, it has changed back to winter!

The trip south kept getting greener as we went. More flowering trees and bushes, too. Spring is so welcomed. The Grand Ole Opry was our first destination, actually the whole reason Dean and I headed to Nashville, Tennessee. Jelly Roll was inducted into the Opry the evening of March 10. What a show! Craig Morgan, Ernst, Lainey Wilson, and Leanne Morgan joined Jelly Roll for his grand celebration. The Country Music Hall of Fame was our second stop while in Nashville. So much to see and experience. It did not disappoint. The special displays of Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, and the Muscle Shoals were our favorites. We admired the country stars and their costumes and instruments. So many country music stars’ dreams were a seed as a child. Their diaries and journals spoke their Opry presence into existence.

We travelled from Nashville through western Tennessee, then the bootheel of Missouri, then just north of the Arkansas border westward to Branson. That wandering snake of a highway had my tummy upset. Eating Mexican for lunch didn’t help matters, but we had no idea about the curvy, hilly state highway. By the time we arrived in Branson, nothing sounded good to eat. Another music town with shows and eateries galore. The new season is just getting started, so most places just opened that weekend we were in town. On Friday we headed to Eureka Springs, Arkansas from where my writing call was clearly heard quite some time ago. The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is a wonderful sanctuary for writers. We stopped in there for a visit. Dean and I caught up with eMerge Magazine publisher, Charles Templeton and his lovely wife, Sandra. Some of my recipes, poems, and short stories have been published with eMerge. Back in Branson we visited with my sister on Saturday and went to Mass on Sunday at the Our Lady of the Lake church before heading home. Now the flowering cherry trees have just burst open. Waiting for our red buds to pop like seen in Tennessee and southern Missouri a few days ago. Those warmer southern dreams eventually bloom here in Missouri, too.

Feb16

The Key to the Heart

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The Key to the Heart

“Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom

This mild winter day my husband and I went for an adventure to the countryside. We drove to Franklin County, Missouri where my paternal grandfather was raised and where early childhood memories have taken my mind these past few days. I have been remembering early experiences and words. Some are so vivid from my mother, father, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I have gone back to photographs in an effort to see the fine details of their faces, their expressions, and mannerisms as well. But also, the memories and photographs capture a time capsule of more innocent times. I think for most people, many childhood memories represent a less intense and stressful time in life. For others, some childhood memories are of trauma, things a child should never experience. I am blessed to have had the influence of a village of good people during my formative years. I was probably a little bit sheltered as a child. But then again, I was working in a field every Saturday starting at age eight. Some people would say that was cruel. No, it was hard work and the way of life living on a farm and being a part of a farm family. I was also ready to retire early, at least from full-time work. My body and mind needed to slow down. Presently, I work hard on a part-time basis at my culinary and writing endeavors no matter the income, or lack of. The road to my future is influenced by my memories, but also by what I choose to fill my mind with. Like an empty jar. Are lovely words and thoughts being poured into it? Am I sharing a smile with all? My great-grandson sure knows how to smile!

“Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody’s heart.” ~ Anthony J. D’Angelo

Jan6

Follow The Shining Star to Home

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Follow The Shining Star to Home

Family and Friends,

Looking back to 2025 Dean and I along with our families climbed some rough crags. Our hopes are 2026 will bring us some smoother trails.  Early 2025 was very cold.  We got away to southern Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma for a February thaw. We visited family, experienced some new sights, museums, and opportunities to curl up in a chair under a blanket and lamp to read. A short fiction story and lyrics for a murder ballad were born from that week-long trip. I have yet to submit these writings to a contest or two. I have been busy. My 2-volume memoir captured most of my afternoons for the first 9 months of 2025.  I have been working on this manuscript since 2021, sent it to my editor, tweaked it several times, then finally published in September and October.  My publisher wanted the manuscript into two or three books; I chose two books. Entitled Strewn Words in the Stew: A Memoir of Recipes, Poems, Short Stories, and Sayings, Volume 1 and Volume 2 can be bought on Amazon/Kindle. Also, they can be found at our St. Charles County local library. These multi-genre books are about my culinary life since my childhood with pages full of recipes, photos, poems, short stories, and sayings. Last year’s word was “seed”, and I would say I planted many seeds with the words God had me share in my books, poems, and blogs.

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.” ~ from T.S. Eliot’s poem, Little Gidding

One of the biggest highlights in 2025 is the birth of our first great-grandson, River Martin in late March. Such a blessing he has brought to the family.  A happy, smiling child!  The timing of his existence on this earth is God sent. My daughter, Rachel became a grandmother with much joy, and my granddaughter, Hannah became a mother for the first time. This family has endured much loss over the past few years. If you may recall, her family’s house burned down Christmas 2022. They had been displaced living in various housing situations as no one could accommodate them all together.  Rachel’s husband, Mick died from a sudden heart attack this past July 4. Their three kids, son-in-law, River Martin, Rachel, and Mick’s parents were there when it happened right after their family’s BBQ dinner that hot day. Devastating.  But I have to say, God is faithful because God is good! Rachel stayed with her in-laws until December when she and the two youngest, Ella and Eli were able to get their own place near town. They still attend to the needs of Mick’s elderly parents. The holidays brought about a few cherished family gatherings. Dean and I love all our grandchildren.

During late summer Dean and I stayed a few days in Virginia relishing in its wonderment. Beautiful country! We loved the history found in the mountain region and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Throughout the year we made a few trips to Kansas City and Farmington to visit family. This year Dean’s kids and grandkids made it to St. Charles for the 4th of July parade and another wonderful family birthday celebration for Dean during Thanksgiving weekend. My sister has parked herself in the Ozarks, on the Missouri side now. We have visited her a couple of times, and Margie has been up our way a couple of times this year. My sister-in-law, Joan is thriving this year after Rick’s death with the support of many family and friends. We have had some quality time with my cousin, Julie and her husband as she moved to the St. Charles area from Chicago area. We made an October trip to Chicagoland for Dean’s youngest brother’s military retirement celebration.  My writing had me at two writers’ conferences, once again in Clarksville, TN where I presented a workshop, and another in Kansas City in October.

Dean’s work at the National Archives keeps him entertained. Yes, he loves his work. The government red tape, not so much. Dean has some neurological problems in his feet and legs. Thankfully, he is not diabetic, but it remains a mystery for the numbness and pain.  More recently physical therapy has helped him.  My culinary work at the local senior center has been very rewarding. I love being with these people. I have encountered physical limitations due to my spine, lumbar and cervical discs misaligned and more recently diagnosed with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (SNRA). The MRI report for my hands described my hands as deformed. The RA has been going on for a while undetected because my bloodwork doesn’t reveal it.  It was the x-rays and MRI that showed deterioration of many joints including my hands. When pain hollers, listen. The body is saying something important. Physical therapy and medication have helped. And I slowed down. Nothing like being flat on my back for a few days to do that. I cut my work hours back in April, and again into this new year. 

“But few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” ~ Luke 10:42 NIV

This year’s word is “purpose”. This year’s phrase, “living with purpose on purpose while at home.” I will have more “free” time, though I want to be a good steward in what God has called me to.  For this moment it is being still, waiting to hear God, taking care of my whole self, and my husband and loved ones as Mary chose. My writing and volunteer work is still work, “so I need to pace myself”, I am telling the Martha in me.  A February R & R trip to warmer southern air is in the plans. The place is TBD. On this Feast Day of the Epiphany, the baby Jesus was revealed to the whole world. Jesus is Home to each of us, for each of us!  Invite Him into your home, your heart today.  Make every day in 2026 the Epiphany!  Follow The Shining Star to Home!

Nov29

A Changing Season

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A Changing Season

“Change is the only constant.” is what I tell myself when I have that feeling of uneasiness or anxiety with a sudden change. There are those times when it feels like my feet are knocked out from underneath me. Other times the change sneaks in through a crack opened door or window. And then there are those seasons when the change is forecasted but not believed until you see that 6 inches of snow covering the outside world. Either way, I remind myself with “God is in control.”

The changing of seasons, autumn to winter came early. The weather forecasters predict a long winter for the Midwest, so it began this weekend. Dean’s 65th birthday celebration along with Thanksgiving were quick on Wednesday and Thursday. All was very nice being together with his three children, their spouses, and the grandchildren for the first half of this holiday weekend. The two Kansas City families arrived home safely before the winter storm started. Last night Dean and I watched both Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary shows which ended about 1:30am this early morning. The heavy, wet snow came after we got to sleep. At least 4 inches of snow covered the landscape, houses, and roads between 2am and 8am. The storm continued with another 2 inches by late morning, then a cold rain followed all afternoon. Brrrsy, for sure. Warm chili is on Deanna’s Cottage’s menu tonight.

Changes in health can happen suddenly or creep up as one ages. Earlier in the spring my back and sciatic pain halted my busy activities to a complete stop with bed rest and medication. The diagnosis of dislocated discs and arthritis in my back and neck areas requires medication and physical therapy. Recently my arthritis has officially been diagnosed the rheumatoid type. My hands have been described as deformed based on the MRI results. Not my hands, God! I use these for so much! I see the rheumatology specialist early January to address this autoimmune condition. This change seems sudden, but I have had joint pain for years. I wonder how long this condition has been present in my body? Despite these medical conditions, my youth is seen and felt from time to time. But not like my great grandson, River. His newness of life is a gift to us all.

Sep22

Summer’s Afterglow

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Summer’s Afterglow

Autumn is summer’s afterglow. The trees radiate the sunrays. This first day of autumn, rain is what we need. Dark clouds rolled in a couple of times this past weekend provided a little moisture, but we need more. Earlier this month, while Dean and I journeyed through the valleys of Virginia and a visit to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, embers of autumn ignited into glowing yellows, flaming oranges, and burning reds with a few trees and bushes on the hillsides. Puffy clouds in the sky so blue billowed from the mountain tops like smoke from the fires below. My Missouri will hopefully experience this colorful transformation soon. I am thankful the autumn equinox is here! Meantime, I enjoy the repurposed stain glass window from Dean’s parents’ Kansas City home of 50 years. This colorful piece is now hung in Dean and I’s cottage home.

A new season has begun. Self-care is high on my list of priorities. Discoveries await. Dean and I’s much needed getaway to the countryside gave us rest to our bodies and souls. I have experienced much pain this year, started in March. Two discs in my lower back and two discs in my neck are misaligned causing migraines and traveling pain down my legs and arms into my feet and hands. Thankfully I have had some good physicians, nurse practitioners, and physical therapists. Prayers for healing have been many to our God. More recently I am able to function in most everyday activities with less medication. Some activities will have to be eliminated altogether. Changes are forthcoming.

As many are aware, I have been writing for years. It began with journaling and moved into submitting to online publications, and have had my poems, short stories, and recipes published. My first full-length book has been published this week! It is a work that I have been after for over four years since my retirement from human resource management. Strewn Words in the Stew is a multi-genre 2-volume memoir of my culinary life. Recipes, poems, short stories, favorite sayings, and photos fill up the pages. Volume 1 is available now, and Volume 2 should be available on Amazon/KDP in November. If interested, you may purchase my book through Amazon. Formats include Kindle, paperback, and hardcover.

What discoveries are at and beyond the horizon for you? Keep praying, seeking, and discovering.

Jun19

This June’s Bipolar Nature

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This June’s Bipolar Nature

What magnificent spring weather we have relished in these past three months in Missouri. In my recollection it has been many years since we have experienced three full months of spring. Typically, in these parts of Missouri, it is a long winter with a rushed four weeks of spring, then right into the heat of summer. According to the weather forecasters, that heat of the summer comes this weekend. With this true spring has come thunderstorms and tornadoes. The weather has a bipolar nature. The damaging winds wreaked havoc in the St. Louis area more than once. The city has not seen such devastation in over 50 years. Recovery is day by day.

Dean and I have a huge, 50 – 60-year-old tulip poplar tree in our backyard which became victim to a pop-up thunderstorm a couple of evenings ago. It lost three medium to big-sized branches which landed between our house and the neighbor church building. Believe me, there are plenty of other branches for its survival. Today, I spent about an hour picking up small branches in the backyard and found a few in the front yard. My injured back only allows so much bending over, and it starts talking to me. I stopped before it started screaming at me. Dean has his various sized saws in use, binding up the large branches cut to 5-foot length as required by our trash company, and the smaller branches going in our lawn refuse totes and lawn bags.

A June respite comes with the mild temperature days. Some resting, meditating, reading, and writing this month. I have to thank God we are safe after each storm. Damaging gutters and roofs can be fixed and clean-up long, but Dean and I are safe and are generally in good health. I facilitated a writers’ workshop in Clarksville, Tennessee earlier this month. The six ladies gleaned much from this workshop where my co-facilitator and I emphasized the importance of observing with all seven senses. Yes, there are seven senses identified now. The traditional five are sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch. The two others are vestibular, associated with movement and balance, and proprioception allows a person to associate one’s own body with space. These last two are related to touch. I will mention there is a spiritual sense, which would make eight senses total for those who are believers.

“A comfortable breezy June morning … The clover is now in its glory. Whole fields are rosed with it, mixed with sorrel, and looking deeper than it is. It makes fields look luxuriant which are really thinly clad. The air is full of its sweet fragrance… These are the clover days.” Henry Thoreau

Thoreau wrote several lines in his journal on June 19, 1852, mentioning many other types of vegetation such as the crops of corn and potatoes, berries on the vines with anticipation of their ripening, even mildew and fungus he writes about. Several birds are included in his journal. He doesn’t miss any of the details and uses all his senses in his writings. Midway in this journal entry Thoreau mentions clover in three sentences and concludes with “the clover days” of June.  I have seen clover growing prolifically this month. The honeybees love clover, which makes for healthy gardens. The bees will come if the chemicals are not used. Folks, keep it organic like in Thoreau’s time. Keep all those senses stimulated. And journal your experiences.

May5

Full-Swing Spring

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Full-Swing Spring

This spring the birds keep singing as the flowers keep blooming at a speed I can’t quite keep up with. Is it my age or did spring come lightning speed this year? The fruit trees and dogwoods have lost their petals weeks ago with the April showers and storms. It is the first week of May and some irises and peonies are already in full bloom. A hummingbird came flying by the last day of April. So, on May Day we welcomed hummingbirds with a filled feeder of sugar water Dean prepared. As spring is amping up, I thought to get my herbs and geraniums planted in pots for the front porch garden. A hard freeze is unlikely by now. I had to put off my gardening project for a few more days for other reasons.

“When one flower blooms, spring awakens everywhere.”~ John O’Donohue

By April 15 we had taxes paid, but I developed a backache that increased in sciatic pain until I could barely walk or sit. Only relief was lying flat on the bed with a heating pad and pillows to elevate my legs. A couple days off from work turned into 10 days. With x-rays, an MRI on my back and hips, and a visit to an orthopedic specialist, the conclusion is I have much arthritis in my back and joints, and two bulging discs. The vertigo returned from tossing and turning while dealing with the pain. A muscle relaxer, anti-inflammatory, physical therapy, and rest were prescribed. My employer didn’t accept my doctor’s note with limited physical activity, so I am now a substitute cook for all St. Charles County locations. I can accept or deny work as my body tells me. I cannot tell you when those bulging disc occurred. Apparently, I am not good at listening to my body. I am determined to be a better listener now and in the future. I have met some new people with this new season in my life, which has been fun.

I finally potted those herbs and geraniums. Tai basil, rosemary, and oregano in one pot. Common sage and pineapple sage in another. And finally, my beloved lemon thyme and English thyme live together in a pot. Ready for my upcoming workshops about baking with lemon-flavored herbs. More on those workshops later. The Italian basil was chewed on so badly that I put it in its own pot away from the other herbs. Whatever insect likes it can eat it to a stub, but please for the love of God, stay off my other herbs.

“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” ~ Ruth Stout