The other day while sitting with Jim, I noticed our interwoven hands, his on top. The symbolism struck me. I’m thankful for my husband of all these years—67 this very day. We’ve had our moments—sometimes daily—but marriage is a great context for learning and...

Just pretend a moment—you a Southern slave in the early 1800s. You get a decent master, you treated reasonable. You a woman, you might nanny the young’uns, cook, sew, or be midwife. You a man, you work long and hard outdoors—farming, picking cotton, livestock—no...

I DO read even the odd parts of the Bible. I’m currently squaring off with the Minor Prophets—you know, Hosea instructed by God to marry a whore, Jonah kicking and screaming all the way to Ninevah, Habakkuk complain, complain, complain… (But see his bottom line...

I used to be a pretty-good gardener. My mound garden looked like this: Last year, my tiny deck garden had 4-ft zinnias.   This year, unable to garden, my perspective has changed dramatically. The mound garden: Note late-blooming goldenrod, swaying majestically....

INVADER VINES! They’re everywhere, fighting plantfully, each hoping to overpower the others. Virginia creeper—Has a bad reputation for its fast spread and tenacity, ruthlessly pushing aside other plants by stealing their sunlight. Poison ivy—I guess we all know about...