If I knew then: Moving on

This move was bittersweet. Living in a home for 12 years, doing the work to make it our own, celebrating holidays and gatherings with friends, cements a place in the heart.

If I knew then: Old friends are gold

His experiences got me thinking about the nature of friendship and how it first sparks and then grows. One of my dearest friends tells me she was determined not to like me before she met me. She had been told by mutual acquaintances that we were sure to hit it off, which gave her an immediate negative vibe.

If I knew then

My mother was a martini drinker. She always said that two drinks made her mean. I don’t remember her ever being mean, but she sure got mellow and fairly philosophical if she had more than one drink.

The taste of summer

In late summer, the peaches that grew miraculously in the sandy southwest Oklahoma soil ripened. If summer has a smell for me it’s the aroma of peaches — fresh from the tree, juice dripping from my arms; warm and spicy in old-fashioned cobbler; cold and rich in home-churned ice cream.

If I knew then: Independence, cubed

This July, I pay tribute to four strong, independent women who light up the planet and my life.

If I knew then: Missing mom

Thanksgiving is high on my list of favorite holidays. What’s not to love? It’s a celebration of family, friends and food.

If I knew then: Full circle

I retired in 2003 after a long career in the newspaper business. I left a little sooner than I had originally intended mostly because the thrill was gone.

If I knew then: A confession

Last fall when “Twilight” the movie came out, I cast a critical eye at the media storm and the oh so breathless whimpering of adoring teenage girls. Truthfully, I had somehow missed all the attention the “Twilight” saga had garnered in the literary press.

If I knew then: Wedding Day

Inauguration Day is our wedding anniversary. On Jan. 20 we’ll be celebrating with the nation as we witness the historic swearing in of our first African American president.

If I knew then: Real is much better

I get about 10 catalogs in the mail every day; more with the approaching holidays. They jam up my mailbox, clutter every tabletop and ultimately take up the bulk of the space in my recycle bin. It’s ridiculous.