A Non-Gamer goes “Free Guy”

LEVEL 1 — HE SHOOTS So, true confessions — I’ve never even held a video game controller. No X-Box, Nintendo, or Wii. No Fortnite, League of Legends, or Grand Theft Auto. I’m no anti-gamer, I’ve just had too much other stuff to do to make the time. Then what time I did have filled up with marriage, family, writing, scripts, … Read More

Good Riddance, 2020! Except for the good parts…

 Learn from the old… Most of us agree that 2020 has been the worst year ever. We can’t wait to send it packing at midnight tonight. Personally, my family has lost two dear uncles and ten friends to COVID, with many more family members and friends falling ill. We’ve suffered job loss, lock downs, school changes and more. My flute-playing, … Read More

FaceBook Live Chat — “Politics: Surviving A House Divided”

“Vessels Time Live” Weekly Facebook chat with author, Anna M. Elias In light of the election, I use examples from my own life to talk about how to stay whole in a family that does NOT vote alike. I also spotlight The Vessels’ rift between Governor Ron Galt and his estranged father, Sam Fullerton. It’s a political battle that, if … Read More

The Eyes Have It…

This one came to me in a writing practice yesterday. The prompt was “Write about a reflection.” As with all writing practices, I put pen to paper with no idea what would follow. Here it is: The mirror comes to mind most readily. A reflection of our faces, our hair and clothes – at the worst of times and the … Read More

It’s Just Cleaning Day. Right?

It has been a year since Mom died. Her beautiful soul passed peacefully and pain free in our home, under Hospice care, after losing her battle to brain cancer. The memories are happy, and we have no regrets, but the scar is still fresh. Every holiday and birthday without her has held its own form of mourning, but the one-year … Read More

Love – Heaven’s Bitcoin

Mom is heavy on my mind today. Not only is March 20th her birthday, our first without her on this plane, but she died four months ago today at age 91. She passed peacefully in her bed on that beautiful clear Sunday, with my family by her side. Even our dog, Karma, would not leave until she crossed the veil. … Read More

Art of the Wheel

My sweet, proper, southern mother of 91 years has always been curious. She loves learning and is easily fascinated by what she doesn’t know, or what she finds intriguing. Like car wheels. My mother has had a life-long fascination with car wheels. Safety, design, color, model and make are important elements in vehicle options for sure, but my sharp, smart … Read More

Finding Peace in the Pieces

The word “peace” comes up a lot this time of year: we share peace at the holidays; we offer peace to our friends and neighbors; we sing songs of peace for the world, and we send cards and gifts adorned with doves and good wishes and blessings of all kinds. But do we live it? Looking at the daily chaos, … Read More

What Price Peace

One of my favorite songs during the holidays is “Let There Be Peace On Earth” written in 1955 by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller. From the time I was young, the combination of music and lyrics in this song stopped me in my tracks and, most times, reduced me to a blubbering  mess until the last note faded away.  … Read More

I Observe, I Imagine – A Cool Tool for Hot Times

It is so easy to judge other people – friends, family, enemies – based on something they said or did, or on something we observe and don’t like about them. In fact, judging seems to be THE default setting for most of us humans around the world. Especially now with 24-hour news that feeds on sensationalism as much as story, … Read More