A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

The leaves are beginning to change color here in southern Ohio. I read a post this morning from a woman who doesn’t like autumn because it means winter is close behind. Some people don’t like any sort of change. Others appreciate the changing of seasons.   As many of my readers know, I spent a great deal of my youth in Florida. I have family and friends there. I always find it humorous when people I know in Florida shudder at the thought of living in Ohio. “No way would I want to live up there with all that snow!” they tell me.    I live in southwestern Ohio. In the Ohio Valley. Our snowfall is minimal and our below freezing temps are few. In fact, I’ve known Tom to play golf in his short-sleeved shirts in January. His last round of golf…the one he played with my son-in-law and grandson was, in his words, the most fun he’d ever had golfing. That was on October 25, 2014. Late into Fall. He mowed my mom’s grass that afternoon. Yeah, Ohio isn’t all cold weather and snow; At ...

  Last week I blogged about how our words outlive us. As I sat down to craft this week’s post, I had no words to share. This week, my sweet husband would have celebrated his 68 th  birthday.     My family has indulged me these past few years in recognizing Tom’s birthday by getting together for one of his favorite activities, bicycling. This year may look a bit different. We are planning a socially distanced walk. I still intend to ride my bike. At least in my neighborhood. It feels right to me.   Back to the blog post. At first I considered posting a series of pictures. Pictures I have of Tom growing up and pictures of our life together. I simply have no words. Ultimately, I decided to share some of Tom’s words. I offer them in no particular order. Use them as you will:   On Fixing Things Around the House :  “I just took it apart and put it back together.” This approach was successful roughly 99% of the time.   On Treating an Injury or Wound : “B...

  Words Have a Lifespan Longer Than Our Own     My great grandmother’s final words to her six young children were, “God bless mother’s children.” From her deathbed, she told them to always trust Jesus; to do what he would have them do. She assured them God would take care of them. My own grandmother was a mere seven-years-old when she was orphaned that day, yet her mother’s words guided her life.    And my mother’s.    And mine.   As I talked with my daughter about fragments of this post, she said, “Our words outlive us.”    It’s true.   I once heard Neil Armstrong say he knew the world would be watching when he landed on the moon. He knew it was his opportunity to inspire. He thought long and hard about what he would say.    “One small step for man. One giant step for mankind.”    My generation remembers those words. We huddled around our black and white televisions, watching and listening intently to the transm...

Did I say "weed  the  manuscript?" Yeah, well it's been a long week. My Rose With Her Rose Many Years Ago My youngest granddaughter carries the name Rose. She was named after her paternal great grandmother. When our little flower came along, I decided to gift her with a rose bush in honor of her birth and her name. Her father planted it in their front yard. It continues to grow. I have pictures of our little Rose watering her plant when she was two.  Recently I made the comment that the now seven-year-old plant needs a good pruning. My granddaughter sees the few blooms on it and doesn’t want to cut it at all. It is big now. Too big.  But for a seven-year-old, bigger is better. For a 7-year-old, Bigger is Better This week, as I was weeding my garden, I thought about that rose bush. Weeding out the unwanted weeds helps my tomatoes grow. Now they don’t compete for needed water. The sun can reach the plump skin of the growing fruit, allowing ea...

I'm  Feeling a Bit Un-Conventional in this Day and Time When I announced on Twitter I decided to watch both political conventions, I received a few “unconventional” comments. Some friends asked why in the world I would  ever  want to do that. “I want to hear everything for myself,” I messaged back. Much can be lost when one person reports what they saw and heard. Remember the party game “telephone?”  One person whispers something in another person’s ear. It travels around the group, each participant repeating what they heard. By the time it makes full circle, it is nonsense. That’s why I like to listen to the actual speeches and not merely the reporters, pundits, or Facebook wizards telling me what was said.  And what it means.  And how I should feel about it.  I prefer to think for myself.  Make my own decisions. How do I do that? Look at the Source and Get the Whole Picture  Facebook, Twitter, and ot...