by Carole Duff | May 9, 2016 | Faith, Family |
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, a celebration honoring our mothers and motherhood. The holiday dates back to the early twentieth century when a West Virginia woman named Anna Jarvis campaigned for a day of recognition in honor of her recently deceased mother, a peace...
by Carole Duff | May 2, 2016 | Faith, Local or Human Interest, Nature |
Early Saturday morning, I parked near the Lake Monocan clubhouse and unloaded the lemon poppy seed bread I’d made that morning, a large bag of trail mix and other materials for the day. It was the annual Women’s Retreat for Bethany Lutheran Church. Spring rains had...
by Carole Duff | Apr 25, 2016 | Family, Nature |
I’m sitting at my desk on the main floor of our mountain house at Vanaprastha when I hear the crackle of speakers connected to Keith’s desktop in the loft. That usually signals Keith is done with his serious writing for the day and is opening iTunes. Confirmation:...
by Carole Duff | Apr 18, 2016 | Faith, Nature, Writing and Reading |
Cornus florida, the flowering dogwood native to eastern North America, is Virginia’s official state floral emblem and state tree. In spring, dogwoods flower in clusters surrounded by large bracts, which unfold in either white or pink. Tight-clustered fruit, oval red...
by Carole Duff | Apr 4, 2016 | Family, Writing and Reading |
“How do you fill you time?” Mother asked as we ate lunch at the Bistro in the assisted care facility where she lives. I munched with guilty pleasure on a gooey tuna melt while Mother nibbled her cheese pizza. Perhaps she was concerned about my transition into...
by Carole Duff | Mar 28, 2016 | Dogs & Other Creatures, Faith, Local or Human Interest, Nature, Writing and Reading |
“Look,” I said to my husband, touching his arm and pointing, “there’s a tiger swallowtail.” Our dogs perked up, scanning the mountain for critters – and our plates. The butterfly danced over our heads, dodging and flitting as we ate supper on the deck again last...
