A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

The End of an Era High School .  If you follow me, you know I graduated from George D. Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Florida in 1971. (If you are one of my younger readers and find yourself in awe or laughing at the idea of someone  that old  once in high school, STOP NOW. Your day will come.) I moved to Florida the summer before my ninth-grade year. One of the places my classmates and I frequented was a  Frisch’s Big Boy restaurant on Florida Avenue. It wasn’t far from the high school and a great place eat. The fact you could drive into a space, push a button, and order a hamburger with fries... all over a speaker was a treat.  A few minutes later your food was carried to your car on a tray that hooked nicely to your rolled down window.  But the best part of  Frisch’s  for most of us wasn’t the food or the convenience. It was the place to meet up with your friends.  Frisch’s was a touchpoint of our youth. Like me, Frisch’s was birth...

  Fierce Resolve for the New Year As we turn the pages of time, 2024 will soon end and we will embark on the new year. For many, flipping the calendar to January signifies a new beginning.  When I was a little girl, I would make a list of all I wanted to do in the coming year. Not particularly “Resolutions.” More along the line of “Goals,” if you will. Sometimes they were mere dreams. I can’t even remember what any of those were, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t keep them beyond…well January. Even my “Dear Diary” efforts didn’t extend long into the new year. Not that I didn’t try. Maybe I thought my daily activities were boring. Too dull to record. I don’t know.  I’ve always had ideas of what I wanted to accomplish. It was the  lack of follow through  that killed the best intentions.  Over time, I’ve discovered the vast difference between goals and objectives. Goals are what we hope to accomplish. Objectives are the steps to get there. As a teacher, I learned t...

Don Garlits, Car Guy Approachable. That is the word I would use to describe Don Garlits. The man is known throughout the world of racing. He has rubbed elbows with celebrities both in and beyond the world of cars. His museum of drag racing in Ocala, Florida is visited by hundreds, if not thousands, of people every year.  Don Garlits has enjoyed dinners and conversations with famous actors and such, but to help raise money for underprivileged children in our area, the man showed up at our local restaurant known simply as “The Diner”, interacted with all present, and helped the restaurant in their fundraising efforts.  We’ve been to The Diner before. Both their food and service is great. You may remember how we met folks who had a connection to our house a few weeks ago at another car show there. I called that post “It’s a Small World.”  Patrick and Jill were there again last night. We had a good time. This time, though, all folks attending brought toys and clothes as ...

    “A Scattered Christmas”  December 2024 I am sitting here listening to Christmas music. The song playing currently via Alexa is “The Most Wonderful time of the Year.” One verse says “…when loved ones are near, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.” When your family is scattered as ours is, we can’t always be together for Christmas. Between us, Mike and I have four children. Four adult children, that is. Three are married and have between them eight grandchildren. The oldest and youngest live in Ohio. The middle daughter lives in Wisconsin and the only manchild lives in Florida near us. We also are blessed to have my mama around for Christmas as well. She, too, lives in Ohio.  The youngest daughter and her family are carrying on the Waters family tradition and going snow skiing out west for Christmas. They won’t be around for the holiday when Mike and I are there to celebrate.  So-o-o, we celebrated Christmas with them while we were in the Buckeye State fo...

  Self-Care Through the Holidays December. Thanksgiving is over and the end of the year is near. Christmas is around the corner. No wonder December is ranked high as one of the most stressful months of the year. I decided for this week’s post I’d share a few tips on self-care during the holiday season. #1 Don’t beat yourself up Don’t compare yourself to what other people do or buy or say. So what if Jill makes intricately decorated cookies for Christmas from scratch? Everyone devours your slice and bake peanut butter cookies with the Hershey Kiss plopped in the middle. They even ask you to make “those kiss cookies” again.  Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies With a Wreath of Cornflakes  (think marshmallow treats) and Little Red Candies #2   Stop searching for the perfect gift You already have it…Any gift you give from the heart with someone’s best in mind? That is the perfect gift… be it a pair of socks they love or a gift card to spend as they like. You can buy or make gif...