Dispatches
Dispatches from Home: The First Day of June 2020
I love this month—warm days, somewhat cool nights, a respite before the onslaught of a sticky-hot, south Mississippi summer! I also love lilies and caladiums. It gives me great pleasure to lovingly plant the bulbs in winter. Then, in early…
Dispatches from Home – Thoughts on turning Seventy. February 1 2022
In 1962, at the ripe old age of ten, I remember thinking, “Seventy! Yikes! That’s really old!” As I sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my seventy-year-old Aunt Pocahontas Maria Price (yes, that was her real name), I studied the deep crevices…
Dispatches from Home – Four years ago. February 22 2023
Dear Mom, Oh! How I miss you! I don’t know where the past four years have gone since last I heard your sweet voice, felt the warmth of your loving touch, and saw the sparkle in your blue eyes. Do…
DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Three years ago. February 22 2022
Mama’s been in Heaven three years today. While sitting on the seawall this morning, looking out across the tawny-brown waters of the Gulf, the morning mist against my face, I thought of that rainy morning that God called her Home.…
DISPATCHES FROM HOME – I Never Had It So Good! January 22 2022
Twenty-five years ago, the early morning air was thick with the smell of melting frost. Dusted with shards of sunlight, the ice glazed everything it touched with a kaleidoscope of prismatic colors. As I stood, looking out a window of…
Dispatches from Home – Father’s Day 2019.
For those who knew my father, you know how gregarious he was, never meeting a stranger. Boy! Pop could talk, but only when he had something to say. Otherwise, he was hidden behind the latest issue of the…
DISPATCHES FROM HOME: THE ELECTION November 2020
I am thankful that the elections are over. Perhaps now we as a country can begin to heal. Let us put all rancor, hate, and violence behind us and move forward. Congratulations are in order. MR. BIDEN you’ve…
DISPATCHES FROM HOME – The Ship of Dreams April 2020
By this time one-hundred and eight years ago, the real ship of dreams, R.M.S. Titanic, was no more than a twisted wreck, surrounded by a graveyard of people’s lives, memories, hopes, and dreams. Ever since my Dad and I watched…
Dispatches from Home – The Dream June 2019
Early this morning, I had the strangest dream that I’ve had in recent memory. In it, I was sitting on the banks of a placid, indigo-blue lake. In front of me, a velvety carpet of verdant green grass, dappled by…
Dispatches from Home: Titanic 25 Years Later February 2023
Twenty-five years ago, it was a windy, cold afternoon. I stood in a long line at the picture show with a massive crowd of strangers. After purchasing my ticket, I found my way to my favorite seat, under the projection…
Dispatches from Home – Pop and the Polar Bear June 2023
My father loved to travel. His two favorite means of travel were the family auto or by train. Planes were a last resort because Pop loved to see the countryside. Two of our road trips by car are acid etched…
Dispatches From Home – The Book of Proverbs April 2020
In a country torn apart by race, anarchy, murder, and death, the Book of Proverbs is a good read for those who long for wisdom in these dark days. Even if you believe the Judeo-Christian Bible is nothing more than…