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  The Courting Chairs   February is often viewed as a dismal month. The days are shorter, meaning darkness falls early. The dreary winter days are often marked by colder temperatures.  The month is so dismal it has been declared one of the highest times of the year for people to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder…SAD. It is a type of depression brought on by the dark and often cold winter months.   This year, my mother and I traveled from our home in Ohio to spend the month of February at the Waters’ family home on a beautiful lake in Florida. It is kind of a “vaccine” against SAD. Or sadness.  We’re from the Sunshine State, so for us it is “going home” and going home tends to cure many illnesses.   The weather has been perfect. We’ve walked every day in the Florida sunshine. We’ve visited with many family and friends. We’ve picked Japanese plums and vibrant pink azaleas. It has been so warm and so relaxing we tend to forget it is February.   My m...

  One Mile at a Time   I know some people who believe empowerment comes through mastering a second language or learning karate. I’ve known people who think manipulating people or skirting the law is empowering. Seriously.    Sometimes, real power comes from facing down fear or learning how to overcome obstacles. Real power comes from facing a daunting task head on…and conquering it.   I recently witnessed this force in action.    My mother and I decided to spend the month of February in Florida. When we announced we were leaving the cold weather of Ohio for a bit of sunshine, my twenty-year-old grandson, Joshua, decided he would like to come for a visit. His college classes are online this term and his work schedule is somewhat flexible.    Driving the nine hundred plus miles from Ohio to our home in the Sunshine State would be his first road trip of great distance. We all had confidence in his driving skill and if he needed, arrangement...

  The Proposal   “I’m going to do this right,” Mike said. He got down on one knee.    Actually, engagements are rarely the big and dramatic events we see in Hallmark movies. Love grows over time. Rarely is the woman totally surprised.  Hmmm...Perhaps it would be better to start this post at the beginning.   If you’ve read my blog these past couple of weeks you already know that I am engaged to be married in April to a wonderful man named Mike. We’ve known each other since ninth grade. We reconnected via our high school class reunion.   We’ve enjoyed the traditional dates at restaurants and such, but being the very modern, young couple we are, we talk and text a lot. We keep our cell phones busy.  “LOL”   Once we made the decision to marry, Mike wanted me to pick out the ring of my dreams. I did. I think my choice surprised him. He was ready and willing  to deck me out with a big diamond solitaire that announced to the world I was engaged...

  The Picnic   It is no accident I am sharing this post the week prior to Valentine’s Day. As that day is recognized as the most romantic day of the year, it is fitting I share this story. It is the story of Mike. It is the story of sweet romance.    Mike is my fiancée and if you read last week’s post you will understand why this man is so special to me. He is God’s answer to my prayer.   Yep, I’m getting married. When Tom died, I couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else. I’ve been a widow for over eight years. Mike’s wife died over thirty-six years ago.    Many of us say things like “timing is everything” or “all in good time” but we live desirous of the “here and now.”   Sometimes the “here and now” takes place over a long period of time.  Here’s the scoop:   I have known Mike for over fifty years. We went to school together and were in the same graduating class. Mike and Tom were good friends growing up. They lived in the same neighborho...