blogging, family life

On hiatus except for book chapter postings until October

Sometimes life piles up on one quickly! Trying to catch up on just everything here at JOY Journal. To that effect, I will be on social media hiatus until October -- with the exception of posting weekly chapter releases of my serialized book, "Suspended Aggravation." (This book will wrap in November.) WordPress readers who need… Continue reading On hiatus except for book chapter postings until October

family life, marriage

Now I know why it’s called “silver anniversary”

Photo by artemation through Pixabay. I didn't really notice how paltry our collection of silverware -- by which I mean stainless steel eating implements -- had become until Thanksgiving of last year. I was setting the table and could only come up with seven dinner forks from two unmatched sets, although we had an insane… Continue reading Now I know why it’s called “silver anniversary”

family life, spiritual life

Beautiful from every angle

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  Martin Luther King, Jr. There was a point during a brief trip to my hometown over the holidays that I stood outside a skating rink with our daughters. Had it not been for a career twist… Continue reading Beautiful from every angle

family life, women

Respecting the dress

“Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design.” Charles Eames, industrial designer In its first life, the dress went to a summer dance on the shores of Lake Michigan in 1963. Not long after, it traveled with the teen girl who delighted in it to Appalachia -- to a small city hugged by low,… Continue reading Respecting the dress

family life, spiritual life

The ever-changing table

"There is always, always something to be thankful for." poster wisdom The era that set all that Thanksgiving should be in my mind was actually rather brief. It began the year my immediate family returned to our Chicago-area home base and ended about 10 years later, when the cousins began to move away. And away… Continue reading The ever-changing table