The Ruby Locket by Anita Higman

A widow with a teenage daughter that might be financially challenged but they are rich in love and devotion to each other.  Enter a wealthy suitor who seems a dream come true for the mother, Dauphine.  Anne is the daughter who is ever watchful which proves to be life saving.

This is an engaging book by a favored author.  It has some interesting characters, a mystery that held my attention, and an ending that I did not fully expect.  While I am not generally a fan of serial reads I really want to know what happens in the next chapters in the life of Dauphine and Anne plus how they can turn the gothic mansion and their tumultuous, near death experiences into a positive situation. The mansion is quite the inheritance considering it was to come with their respective deaths. 

The writing of this author keeps getting better and better so far as I am concerned.  

Donald Paul Harriman Scholarship, My Nephew and My Memories

I was quite honored when my sister asked me to write a letter to the scholarship recipient this year. It is awarded annually in memory of her son, my much loved nephew, Donald Paul Harriman.  It is important that the recipient understand what he valued and how he lived his life vs existing in life.

Donnie was a remarkable young man who truly knew how to appreciate the many moments that came his way.  He took nothing for granted. He was a great athlete who excelled in Cross Country track.  He practiced even during his summer vacation from high school.  During our family weekend trip to Corpus Christi he got up much earlier than anyone, went for a run and got back in plenty of time for our family breakfast time.  He valued education and clearly understood the long term benefits it afforded.  He worked full time after high school graduation, attended college and made good grades. He liked to tease but was not a bully. He was an encourager and valued his family relationships above all else.

I must admit to being most proud of Donnie earning the level of becoming an Eagle Scout. He continued to practice that code of ethics throughout the remainder of his life.   

Donnie loved to laugh and cherished life.  His life was cut short but his appreciation for education lives on through the scholarship awarded in his memory.  His high school renamed their track meet in his honor to reflect his name. 

 I am equally pleased that the scholarship will help move dreams and goals forward. Donnie wanted to make a difference and this scholarship will make a difference in the life of another. 

Houston Post vs Houston Chronicle or Leon Hale

I was a faithful subscriber to the Houston Post.  This was in a time when you had three options for a newspaper in Houston, Texas: Post, Chronicle or Press.  The only woman that I knew who loved the newspaper more than me was my mother. We read every single page, even the Classifieds that held no real interest to either of us.

I saw an announcement which changed my mind.  As a result, I switched to the Houston Chronicle.  The following month I received a lengthy phone call from a representative of the Houston Press.  He inquired as to the reason I had not renewed with them since I had been what he called a loyal customer of many years.  My response was this “Leon Hale is now with the Chronicle.” He proceeded to sell me the benefits of switching back to the Post and said that he would have delivery resumed immediately and follow-up with an invoice.  I said “No thank you.” Again he asked why.  My response was the same.  His response followed “What could I offer you to come back to the Post? A discount perhaps?”  I said that it would take the return of Leon Hale.  He naturally said that he did not have the authority to make that happen.  I said “Goodbye. Have a nice day.”

News is just news for the most part.  Yes, presentation and method of delivery of information is important but it is the columnists that give it a personality and add the real value to the publication.

With Leon Hale there is never a blah-blah-blah experience.  One can feel the warmth and sincerity in every written column. I could and still can see (feel) the words come to life.  He writes with humor and truth, plus I feel like I am sitting on his porch or his porch steps with him. 

Current so called columnists pale in comparison.  Their passionate bias is so thick that the best knife money could buy could not cut through the bile.  It feels forced, not fresh, and no longer interesting.  My 30 years+ subscription to the Houston Chronicle is now canceled but at this point was not tied to my fierce loyalty to Leon Hale. 

Thankfully technology has come to my rescue for catching Leon Hale’s blog plus various mediums for obtaining other types of news. 

It is so nice to have options and I will enjoy my freedom to choose, while it still exists. 

Justice or Revenge

For some reason I am on a roll of thought these days and it is not even near Christmas.  Here I go again.

In a book, article or on TV recently was this quote: Justice is better than revenge.  I wrote it down in order to really think about it later.  Now is that later.

I feel strongly that one allows for personal growth and relief (sort of) while the other comes with possible regrets.   Before you get all in my face with “What do you know about it?” please know that my family has endured four separate robberies: three involved a firearm and each of them was shot, one of the shootings resulted in a fatality with the trial for two of the five involved in the crime and convicted, the fourth was an elderly cousin beaten to death with both of them apprehended, tried and convicted. My youngest son was a passenger in a driving accident where there were no survivors. I am more than familiar with the notion of justice and revenge. 

Justice is certainly open to interpretation and goes beyond a dictionary definition.  I believe in our justice system even when the convictions are not enough to make us feel better. How much justice would be enough to make the loss of a loved one feel any less painful or fill that void in our life?  Is there even enough justice available in our lifetime? I desperately wanted and needed to have someone to blame and held accountable.  Please do not belittle what I found to work for me and it was the only way for me. True justice allows for God to prevail. I am not talking about the here and now.  I am talking about the “pay now” or “pay later” justice.  Regardless of what a court will determine as justice for each of the offenders, I have and take great satisfaction in knowing that they will face supreme justice before God, their everlasting judge and juror, when their earthly life is over.

Revenge can bring more regrets and lead to more revenge.  Where would it really end? Violence begets violence. One can see this on various forms of media throughout the world today and in our history.   Revenge is not always physical violence but emotional or professional in nature. Each act requires another action and can spiral into a situation that was not intended.  Maybe the end result is to your satisfaction but at what cost. 

Everything comes at a cost. Is it worth the price paid? Only you can answer that question for yourself.  Just remember that you will face the same judge in the end.  Pay now? Pay later? Choose wisely and exercise great discernment.  

2016 April 9 National Cherish an Antique Day

The first thing that comes to mind is my vintage fountain pen collection that dates back to 1874.  While I do love my many, many fountain pens which directly relates to the name of my blog, I have other thoughts to share on this matter.

Okay, so here are my personal feelings about these pens that I absolutely cherish. 

·         How many lives were saved or put together by the written words from each pen? 

·         What sentiments were shared or secrets? 

·         How many greetings and what types of greetings?

·         What secrets were hidden in a diary or even now a journal?

·         How the answers on a written test or research paper grew to support a career choice or change the course of a career?

·         The information and signatures on a marriage license or a birth certificate?

·         Our wonderful historical documents, particularly The Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

·         Handwriting analysis?

·         Beautiful cursive that might change with each emotion from happiness to sadness?

All of these things are changed with technology.  Yes one can easily change the font but to me it lacks the fluidity from the pen, up through the fingers, the hand and to the heart.

Yes, I wrote most of this out in pen before posting it here.  I think better with a fountain pen.  This is a true statement, happily acknowledged and written in Serenity Blue Waterman ink dispensed through a much favored Waterman fountain pen with a fine point nib. It is a younger model of about 20 years old.  Your inquiring mind just might want to know.    

Laughs and Love in Flowers

I can always count on the Hallmark Channel for entertainment that does not need to be filtered for the unmentionables, brain dead words, or objectionable body stripping that adds no value to stories for me. Tonight’s program “Hearts of Spring” included a great line that is perfectly in line with my love of flowers. It is actually a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The earth laughs in flowers.” Before tonight I had never heard this great quote.

In the instance of the program it provided direction to a young single mother who needed something beyond the supporting of her daughter.  It provided a career that allow her the time and work hours to rear her then young daughter. To me there was even more though nothing is more important to me than being a mom.

For me flowers spur thoughts, encouragement, comfort, even emotion that at times produces action.  I read a wonderful a book titled “The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh which opened a whole new world for me in the meaning behind flowers and how it affected the life of that young woman in the book as well. Believe me there are a lot of meanings and those meanings have changed over time.

I was particularly taken by the yellow roses in the program, the memory of that book and an especially fond memory of my own.  As a new single parent back in 1983 I had no plans to date and especially not have a relationship  that might turn into the direction of marriage.  The journey to where I am now included expanding my circle of friends and acting on my fears to either lessen them or eliminate them.  My friends in my church Sunday School class were the best which of course included the male species.  There was a particular man whose feelings towards marriage tended to mirror my own so we considered each other “safe” to be around more than on Sundays. On the first anniversary of my divorce I decided to send someone flowers to commemorate this new courage that I was experiencing.  Yes, I sent yellow roses to my safe male friend and made sure he understood that it was to celebrate this new phase in my life with my sons and nothing more. Fast forward.  I am now married to that guy and have been for over 20+ plus.  Thinking back, it started with an article read about the meaning behind each color of roses.  

Yes, for me the earth does laugh in flowers and I do laugh often.  

Choices and Change

I was watching an enjoyable program called “Signed Sealed & Delivered” and heard a couple of lines that produced some thought:  1. Begin by doing the thing that scares you the most., 2.  He’s her sliver of light. Both of these brought one word to my mind immediately, Change.

Sometimes, in fact most of the time for me, change does begin with fear, fear of the unknown and unfamiliar.  The journey will not be like the preferred straight line but the things that can be learned along the way will just add to the journey.  Some specific examples come to mind that I would like to share.

As a long ago single parent I was afraid of just about everything which included freeways, roller coasters, long distance driving and freely talking with anyone that I had known for many years.  However, with two young sons I was determined that they learn new experiences that could be fun which of course included overcoming my fears in a few areas.

·         Roller coaster rides with my sons and my mother - She was screaming with her mouth closed so that her false teeth would not fall out.  My sons were laughing so hard at my mother that we all forgot about our fear. 

·         Chasing my youngest son Eric around the Swing Ride at Six Flags in Dallas - My mother was on one side, I was on the opposite side and my oldest son Jason was running interference as we each tried to catch Eric and “place” him on the ride.  At the conclusion of the ride, Eric wanted to get back in line to ride it again. We did.

·         Rafting in New Braunfels – Neither my mother nor I could swim. Her boss along with others said that we could not, should not even try, it was dangerous and that “women” could not do it without a man along to help us.  Twice the raft almost tipped over as we got in, lost the oars twice but managed to get them back in the raft, drowned my keys and my car would not start when we were ready to leave, but survived it all with huge belly laughs throughout that day and we had matching sunburns. We rafted together three more times in future years. 

·         Driving the 610 loop  and freeways in general – On a Saturday and with a full tank of gas, I left to make a day of driving for hours on the loop, Hwy 59 and I-45 until I felt calm.  

·         Long distance driving – I drove to visit family in Arkansas and to Indiana to visit with family as well starting after the one year anniversary of my divorce. 

My youngest son who became a roughneck in the oilfield shared and embellished our stories many times over the years. My oldest son may still have a discomfort of heights but at 40 years of age decided to marry and is now the father of a 14 month old son of his own. 

I have mentioned my mother in these memories.  She was single as well and we shared expenses to have fun making memories together for the four of us. My youngest son passed in 2005 at the age of 27 and my mom passed in 2014. My memories are a blanket of comfort.

The second line about being a sliver of light comes to mind every time I see my grandson or peruse the many pictures enjoyed between visits coupled with my son Jason’s smile. 

Closing thoughts brought on by the name of the program. Sign but do not seal your heart from possibilities plus what change(s) can and does/do bring.  Deliver love in words, actions and kind communications. 

Intimacy. Hmmm

From my today’s devotional content about love is an interesting line: "Secrecy is the enemy of intimacy." Yes, I have my own opinion and comments added below. 

Intimacy is so much more than the first word or thought that might come to mind.  Real intimacy is defined differently and I must agree to these descriptive words: togetherness, rapport, friendliness, attachment, affection and confidence.  Add to that it is tightly woven together with trust in every sense of that word “trust”. The closer one’s relationship, the greater the trust factor hence the greatest type of intimacy and level of intimacy. 

I am also reminded of what I learned from my youngest son.  He often said that secrets kill people, like a cancer that kills from the inside.  This is true, so true. 

The physical side of intimacy, however wonderful it is, can and will change over the course of time. Real intimacy such as described earlier is forever lasting, for everlasting, and is really who you are which does not change vs what we do which will change, like it or not.  

Get real.  

Lost and Found

A great line in the movie and also a song in “Frozen”: Love is an open door. Many choose to close the door to love or are stingy with their love thereby limiting one's self of memory making moments.  Odd as this may seem, my temporary loss of a much loved “memory necklace” came to mind.  Please allow me to elaborate. 

Yesterday my to-do list covered a few miles with several stops along the way. When I finally got home, I noticed that my memory necklace was gone.  I was in a panic, depressed, tearful, and quite devastated at the loss. It was a gift from my son Jason that had my favorite picture of my youngest son Eric taken in July 2005. It was also my birthday present in September 2006, received shortly before the first anniversary of my son’s accident which took him from this life (my life) on September 16, 2005.

The only place that I had any hope of finding it was my car, my pathway to the house, and rooms I had been in before discovering my loss. My tears were no consolation and I could not stop them and yes, I prayed, however hopeless it seemed.

I sat down in my recliner feeling quite sorry for myself (silly waste of time for anyone), looked to my right to get my cup to make me some tea (my cure all) and what did I see --- my necklace, my much loved necklace, my everyday wear, my connection to memories.  It had either fallen off my neck, had never made it to my neck, or popped out of nowhere in an answer to prayer.  The “however” did not matter at that moment. I truly thanked God for my discovery.  I was at that moment flooded with memories of and with each of my sons. I felt flushed with the warmest feelings of love at the first sight of that necklace.

Memories and love are equally powerful and are tightly wrapped up in that necklace. I am a happy, happy, happy mother of sons who loved and continue to love me in my mind and in life. 

WE are our memories

I admire the power of the mind and how our thoughts can be put into action.  I have always been equally struck with our memories and the actions that they produce.  These thoughts were brought on tonight as I watched the movie “Frozen” and how the erasing of memories was used as a cure.  Thankfully this only worked for a time.

I count my memories as priceless. They have taught me to establish boundaries, strengths on which build, comfort when recalling those no longer here with us and keeping all kinds of love alive.