>Bearing in mind the saying, "When God sends you lemons, make lemonade," I've begun to record some of the more interesting subject lines of the spam I receive on my Yahoo account. I'm intrigued by the possibility of incorporating the unique word combinations into a novel or some other piece of fiction writing. It would … Continue reading >When God sends lemons

>The Americanism "discombobulated" is a perfectly suitable word to describe my feelings recently. We've been painting. But there's a whole lot more to painting than the mere verb.About a year ago, I purchased one of those "Bed in a Bag" sets of new linens for our bedroom. These sets include matching sheets, a comforter, pillow … Continue reading >Discombobulate

>There are many things I love about celebrating the incarnation of Christ, and singing Christmas hymns nears the top of the list.During our Christmas worship service yesterday, a couple of things struck me while singing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”While singing the second stanza, I was pierced with the beauty of the phrase: “Incarnate Deity”. … Continue reading >Incarnate Deity

>Last night Dave and I enjoyed watching Renee Fleming perform Christmas music with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and orchestra on PBS. Fleming's performance was a treat; she obviously relished each song. The show also featured Claire Bloom reading the biblical Christmas story in wonderfully rich tones. It was a great show. I stayed up another … Continue reading >Renee Fleming

>"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my … Continue reading >Knowing Nothing

>After nearly 35 years of cooking for my husband and family, I improvise a lot. I don’t take time to look up every recipe or carefully measure every ingredient. Since I’ve prepared many family favorites so often, I simply pour in a little of this and add about so much of that. And I sometimes … Continue reading >Improvisation

>I used to think that addicts were drunken bums lying in the gutters of Skid Row. Now I realize that I am one.There are at least two things I’m addicted to: email and spider solitaire. I'm not addicted to surfing the net or dialoguing in chat rooms, just to e-mail. And I'm not addicted to … Continue reading >Addictions

>It was 17 degrees when Dave got up, 16 when I asked the temperature, and 15 by the time I sat down to eat breakfast.The birds feeding on our deck this morning look much fatter than usual as they hunker down with fluffed feathers covering their feet. Outside my office window, there's a thin sheen … Continue reading >Cold snap

>The moon was a silver crescent, lying just above the treetops, this morning when I woke.It wasn’t that long ago that it was a full orange globe, rising from the horizon, like a pale pumpkin ready to burst.I am always amazed at how quickly the moon changes phases. I’m beginning to think that’s part of … Continue reading >The Moon Waxes and Wanes

>My favorite piece of classical music is Canon in D by Pachelbel. I have several different recordings of it, including one of it being played by the Canadian Brass, but my favorite arrangements are those for violin.My talented nephew, Jonathan, played it for me during my last visit. It literally brought tears to my eyes. … Continue reading >Pachebel’s Canon