When a Southern Girl Re-Belles

Ahhhh. September in Texas. When the leaves have changed from green to brown due to lack of rain, the temperature has dropped to ninety-five degrees, and the breeze is desperately…

I blinked. Kenny Chesney told me not to, but I did it anyway. And now, as I look at my life, I think of the overused rote Facebook aphorism, “Where…

Ten years ago, I wrote a blog entitled, “A Cheerleader Looks at Fifty.” The name of the post was inspired by Jimmy Buffett’s song, “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” The…

I’ve been in a February funk. Honestly, the only reason for this feeling is the weather and the fact that Spring is right around the corner. I’m anxious. I’m ready.…

Lately I’ve felt like a hamster on a wheel. I seem to be doing the same things over and over, and not making progress. Have you ever felt that way?…

It’s been while since I last posted. I didn’t realize how long until I logged in to write this post (47 days which is almost 7 weeks). There have been…

On an ordinary morning, on an ordinary day, I wrote the date at the top of the page, and my heart sank. October 1, 2022 It arrived without the usual…

This week I threw away all my joy. Literally. Remember the Joy Jar that I started at the beginning of 2022? I had well over a hundred slips of “joyful”…

Last Friday night, I was honored by the Nacogdoches High School Alumni Association as a Distinguished Alumna (I think that’s the second time in my life I’ve ever written the…

Here I sit, well after midnight, trying to put down some words so I can fulfill the commitment I’ve made to myself to continue this blog. If you’re a dedicated…

Whenever I’m preparing to write this blog, I usually try to find several things that are unalike and connect them in some way. Oftentimes, I try to find words that…

Like all teachers around the globe, I’ve been on a count-down for the end of the year. Not because I’m tired of my job, getting up early in the morning,…

My writer’s block continues, but alas, I am making myself go through the motions. I honestly have no excuse because the greatest material in the world is placed at my…

One of the many things I look forward to each year is the annual Nac Girls Weekend, when a group of lifelong friends gather and spend four days together. And…

Lately, it has been difficult to find time to write this blog, and when I do find the time, I’m not very motivated. I guess I’m at a crossroads. I’m…

I’ve had a couple of “grumpy” days lately. By that, I mean I was grumpy. When I tried to figure out the cause of the grumpiness, there was one thing…

On a recent Monday morning, I went to the garage to start my car. It was really cold outside, and thoughts of warm leather seats, and a toasty vehicle made…

I’m always writing in my head. Always. Almost every thought I have is written in prose, and within each thought I am constantly searching for connections between the current thought,…

The other morning before work, I stopped by the gas station to get a fountain drink. Yep. It’s 2022 and I still have a slight addiction. However, giving up my…

Three days before Christmas, Brian and I set out on a mission: to find tamales for Christmas Eve. In the scope of human events, this doesn’t seem like a mammoth…

It’s that time again. The time of the year where everyone is aware of the extra pounds gained over the holidays. If you survived the season unscathed, kudos to you!…

  This post is from a chapter of my book Mockingbird Moments: A Memoir. It’s about the first Christmas without my dad. It’s often stated that Christmas is “the most wonderful…

I came across a statement/question this past week that made me chuckle: “I know you can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?” This question made…

This week has felt a little blah. Maybe it’s the post-Thanksgiving tryptophan-induced coma from eating too much turkey and dressing. Maybe it was the way the Aggies lost their football…

  On an ordinary Tuesday, I stopped at the gas station on my way to work. I didn’t need to fill the car up, I just needed an extra dose…

I’ve always loved the scripture from Psalms, “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”  Without fail, these words have filled me with hope; the will…

(This post is available on my Podcast—tune in on Amazon Music, Apple Music, Stitcher, Buzzsprout—you can click on the Podcast link on the Home Page for my blogsite) Sports has…

(Podcast is available for this post. To listen, click on the link at the top of the blog site) This blog hasn’t even begun, and because of two words in…

As an elementary counselor, I am reminded daily of the importance of the family unit. Children learn how to treat others at such an early age. Values are modeled and…

Welp. Labor Day has come and gone and for me that means no more wearing of white. I guess I’m an extremist on this issue. I understand that there is…

Change. It’s inevitable. Nothing ever stays the same, nor is it supposed to. We’ve been told not to fear change, but rather embrace it; that change should challenge us.  We…

    “Towns change; they grow or diminish, but hometowns remain as we left them.” ~Jayne Anne Phillips For me, the above picture says it all. It is a visual…

I’m extremely fortunate that I have a daughter-in-law who sends me daily photos of my sweet grandson. Although we live hundreds of miles away, these pictures help us to be…

I have a confession to make. I play Solitaire on my laptop. In this day and time, in a world filled with social media and “Candy Crush,” (is that still…

It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to sit down and write, as my life has been a whirlwind since April. My hope is by the end of…

As a mother, I pray often. Multiple times throughout the day. I pray more now for my adult kids than I did when they were growing up. Gosh, after typing…

In a text this week, a sweet friend wrote: “I feel like 2021 has been worse than 2020. At least in 2020 everyone got to stay home by themselves. Now…

Out of all the days of the week, I like Tuesdays best. Sure, it goes without saying I love weekends, but on the days I work, Tuesdays are my favorite.…

I awakened early today. Not surprising since that seems to be my modus operandi. The time change has me pretty wonky, but getting up when the time says 6:00 a.m.…

I’m sure that when writing this weekly blog, I repeat myself. In fact, at times I wonder if most everything I write seems redundant, as specific themes and lessons seem…

I don’t consider myself to be high maintenance, but after a week of dealing with the obstacles that Snowmaggedon 2021 dished out, I’m reconsidering that statement. Not only did this…

This past weekend, we diligently prepared for the snow storm that was headed our way. We bought food, water, supplies, and firewood. We went to my mom’s to pick up…

I’m in the process of “purging” extra stuff from my house. I’m focused. On a mission. I’m trying to put my emotions aside. Trying to do as the bestselling author,…

Since the last blog post, my life has been filled with a bunch of stuff, as well as stuffing that has come unstuffed… We have been keeping our son’s dog…

At one time or another, I know we have all felt this way:                 I mentioned in last week’s blog that I’ve not…

I’m tired. Plain and simple. No hyperbole or theatrics. I’m just plain ol’ sleep-deprived-dog-tired. If I had to describe how I’m feeling at this moment in a hundred words or…

When I taught freshman English many years ago, I remember reviewing the concept of abstract nouns—words that exist in thought or as an idea but don’t have a physical or…

Welcome to the United States of Anxiety! I would love to say that I coined that phrase, but alas, credit for the clever title goes to one of my favorite…

Well, that was a little CrAzY! But, hey! We survived 2020! And to use a tired and trite phrase, (and the title of a Kelly Clarkson song), “What doesn’t kill…

I heard the sad news last week that Charley Pride, one of my all-time favorite singers, passed away. Not only did he have a voice like no other, but he…

I wish I were one of those people who walked through life gracefully, but I’m not. The fact that I am aware of this should be helpful in my attempt…

I like to believe I’m a free-spirit in some ways, but when it comes to certain things, I’m a purist, plain and simple: not wearing white after Labor Day or…

Last week’s blog was about grief. I recalled my journey through it and the lessons I’ve learned from the loss of my father twenty-eight years ago. In my conclusion, I…

“But when October comes and goes and in no time at all, I’ll begin to feel the chill of an early fall…” (from the song by George Strait) I love…

As I write this, it’s the last day of the ninth month of the year. The song “Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day keeps playing in my…

I have to admit, writing this blog during the Pandemic was much easier. I had endless time to brainstorm topics and ideas and then more time to actually sit down…

After I graduated from Texas A&M in December of 1985, I ventured off to Washington, D.C. to try to find a job on Capitol Hill. My parents weren’t too thrilled…

I love the word fortnight. It sounds so much classier, and fancier than saying “two weeks.” I’m just sorry the game, Fortnite, has besmirched such an elegant turn of phrase.…

Some of my favorite memories are of the days I spent at Camp Huawni. The time spent there represents the most carefree experiences of my life—non-stop activities from sun-up to…

When I was in second grade, my dream was to go to Hollywood and become an actress with my best friend, Mary Elizabeth Pierce. We had it all figured out.…

It’s remarkable how memories about a person or place can remind you of something completely unrelated. Every four years, when the Olympics roll around, I always think of Lovis Owens,…

As I was quietly sitting in my chair early this morning, sipping coffee, and organizing my thoughts for this blog, something happened. My intention was to write about my favorite…

If you keep up with my blog, you probably recognize that the titles I use are generally a list of things that seem to have nothing in common. I’m not…

CLICK HERE to LISTEN to my PODCAST I’ve had the title of this blog running around in my head for quite some time. I just couldn’t figure out exactly what…

A letter to my grandson, July 14, 2020 CLICK here to LISTEN to my PODCAST   My dearest Cooper, As I write this, my heart is filled with unsurpassed joy,…

“Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s what’s in the middle that counts.  So when you find yourself at the beginning, just give hope a chance to float up.…

“I’m saying this is the South. We’re proud of our crazy people. We don’t hide them up in the attic. We bring ’em right down to the living room and…

 “I remember a place, a town, a house like a lot of houses, a yard like a lot of other yards, on a street like a lot of other streets,…

When I was twelve years old, Olivia Newton-John released a new album called, “Clearly Love.” I have always been a huge fan of Olivia–I actually saw her in concert at…

In the fall of 1990, we buried my grandmother. Grandma Smith lived in a small community outside of Hallettsville. Her service was held at the funeral home in town, but…

“Well behaved women rarely make history.” ~Laurel Ulrich   When I was well into my forties, I was visiting with my mom one afternoon and somehow the conversation evolved into…

I am starting something new with my blog. Several years ago, I began writing my memoir, Becoming a Chevelle. After sending several chapters to an editor, I was told that…

It seems my grandson Cooper has found his voice. The pediatrician warned them this was coming, but I’m not sure his parents were ready. Cooper seemed to be in a…

Throughout our lives, we dream of special moments: Graduation, College, First Job, Wedding, Becoming a Parent–and then experiencing all those things again with your children. Rarely does life ever goes…

I hate to say this, but we live in an angry world. People are overwhelmed, frustrated, disappointed, disillusioned, mistreated, misinformed, and apathetic. It’s hard to say how we got to…

For me, there are certain things that are a part of my Southern heritage. Things that I do without even thinking: 1. Saying “y’all” 2. Adding “bless your heart” to…

Have you ever thought about the concept that everything is relative? How meaning is applied to people, things, and events based on differing vantage points and concepts? It goes without…

I’ve been waiting for this day for over a year and now it’s here! And there’s so much I need to say! I will be giving more information out on…

It’s around 5:30 Thanksgiving morning, and I have a lot to do to prepare for the day. Our celebration will be a little disjointed, as my adult boys now have…

Dear Dad, Hey! How’s it going? I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked. Twenty-seven years to be exact. There’s so much to tell you, I’m not sure where…

“If adventures do not befall a lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.” ~Jane Austen There was a time in my life when I wanted to ride…

I love the word serendipity. I think it’s one of my favorite words. I love its meaning, but even more so, I love the way the word sounds; the way…

My life, just like this title, is all over the place right now. Another school year is coming to an end, my youngest son is getting married next week, and…

(A Cheerleader Looks at 50) “Every time I say ‘sure’ when I mean ‘no,’ every time I smile brightly when I’m exploding with rage, every time I imagine my man’s…

Unpacking From the Motherhood Guilt Trip: An Addendum to my Mother of the Year Application They say it takes a village to raise a child but no one ever tells…

I grew up in the era of Watergate, when it became a household word, identifying a scandal, and not the hotel that was once a hot spot for both democrats…