Wordless Wednesday

The Death of [Ms.] Manners

I swan, nothing sets my teeth on edge like the disappearance of titles and honorifics in our current society. [I offer a hearty "thank you" to Mr. Dad over'ta thedaddyblitz for reminding me of this particular peeve in a recent  blog entry.] Lordy, I know that I sound old writin' this, but, back in my day we used them or…

Nature vs. Nurture

Anyone who has children knows that the whole nature vs. nurture argument is practically moot. No matter on which side of the argument your loyalties tend to be, your own children are likely to make you question your own position. According to Saul McLeod, In practice hardly anyone today accepts either of the extreme positions.  There…

Death Calls Me Home

The Wolfe once declared that you can't go home again, but I've found that to be painfully untrue. Here, in the early dusk of Life, Loved Ones continue to fade away ... like leaves and first loves and morning glories under the setting sun. Each sad and grateful passing beckons my beleaguered bones back to the bittersweet haunts of my very first Grand Adventures.…

That Kid!

Gabbi, my thirteen year old who had the unenviable blessing of falling smack dab in the middle of the birthing order of Clan Allen and who landed as my "middle child" has always been my most ... shall we say, headstrong kidlen. She's the sort that makes grownups smack their forehead and sigh, "That kid!" Oh,…

My Faery Child

I caught this candid of my sweet Rose as she was brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, and I thought it was rather a dramatic and beautiful catch. She'd been playing in her sister's makeup and had just gone outside to play in the Texas "Winter" weather with the little girl who lives…

What Are You Waiting For?

Not long ago, I ran across a really nice set of calligraphy markers and thought Holy cow, I still have these? Cool! I'll use them now. I was so excited that I'd found these amazing markers and was totally stoked to use them. Recent events have reminded me that life is short, so I was grinning from…

Part of the Main

Standing back and watching the crowd of chatting and laughing relatives fill my sister's living room for my father's 90th birthday party, it dawned on me that all of these wonderful and unique beings gathered for celebration were actually related to me. That somehow, miraculously, God had seen fit to intertwine the lives and love of all of these individuals within one…

Break a Leg!

Note to self: Stop waiting for the play called Life to begin ... the time to perform, share, and enjoy is now.

Feast on This Friday

We humans, especially we female humans, tend to look for happiness, influence, and inspiration from outside sources. Why is it that we feel we need to be on the sidelines cheering everyone else on and supporting others to achieve their dreams and goals? Though there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a supportive friend and…