Finding Me
“Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.” — Epictetus I’ve been a lot of different people in my life. Not very many of them were really me. Because I was such an insecure child, I became both … Continued
All The Way ~ A Poem by Betsy S. Franz
All The Way – A Poem by Betsy S. Franz Okay So nothing lasts forever Your pets will die Your job will end Your kids will grow and move away Your life will end The world will end Sure … Continued
Life in the Slow Lane
I used to always seem to be running late. I’d wake up in the morning early enough to have plenty of time to get to where I wanted to go. But by the time I found myself on the road … Continued
Finding My Religion
Over 20 years ago, on a rainy weekend, I sat down and wrote my own religion. The rainy-day boredom had me thumbing through a small, dog-eared dictionary when I came upon this definition: “religion: a specific system of belief built … Continued
Beautyberry Plants help beat the skeeters
I’ve always loved the American Beautyberry plant (Callicarpa americana), not just because it produces beautiful purple berries in the fall, but because every bird and critter that moves through my yard love to munch on those berries. Being a wildlife … Continued
The Depth of a Fisherman
“To go fishing is the chance to wash one’s soul with pure air, with the rush of the brook, or with the shimmer of sun on blue water. It brings meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature…all men are … Continued
Beauty Never Fades
Once a week, no matter how busy I am, I take an afternoon off and just sit and stare at the clouds. It’s not always easy to rearrange my schedule or put my deadlines on hold to carry out this … Continued
Quality Time
I had just been through such a rough day at work, that all I really wanted to do was to stop by the beach on my way home and spend a few relaxing minutes trying to unwind. When I got … Continued
Call Me Crazy
I’ve started hiding money around my house. Not a lot. Just ones and fives. Maybe an occasional ten. Nobody’s going to get rich if they find it, but when I’m doing a really thorough house cleaning (which believe me, isn’t … Continued
The Beauty of Alzheimer’s
My mother is losing her eyesight, so when we get together, I read the clues to her so she can still do crossword puzzles. “It’s a long word,” I say. “It means ‘tardy one’”. “Latecomer?” she responds. Darn, how does … Continued