From May 2014

For Tom

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the day I married the love of my life, Tom Hartley.  I fell in love with a goofy and brilliant man who loved to play and made me laugh.  We met in college.  Our first date was to a college football game.  He had originally asked my roommate out, …

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The Practice of Medicine

My father is a physician and I have a great respect for the medical profession.  After years of visiting people in the hospital, sitting with families waiting for a surgery to be finished, and even going to doctor appointments with elderly members of my congregation, I understand why it is called “the practice of medicine.”  …

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Face It

A few years ago I read the collection of humorous essays by Nora Ephron titled “I Feel Bad About My Neck.”  I enjoyed the book, but didn’t quite understand the focus on the neck.  Why should the neck, more than any other body part, be singled out as a sign of aging?  Just three short …

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Remembering Memorial Day

I have lived in a small town all my life except for the three years I was in seminary.  I love small towns and the sense of knowing the town and the people in it.  For the last 25 years I lived in Mogadore, Ohio – the only Mogadore in the United States. Mogadore is …

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The Second Question They Ask

The second question people ask when they find out my retirement is only a month away is “Are you winding down?”  The answer to that question is not complicated.  It is an emphatic NO!  Winding down implies that I have a choice in how I work.  But God has called me to this task and …

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The Invention of Wings

“The Invention of Wings” is the best-selling, Oprah-recommended, new novel by Sue Monk Kidd, who also wrote “The Secret Life of Bees.”  I get most of my books from the library, and I had to wait several months for this one because so many people had requested it.  I hope they liked it as much …

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The First Question They Ask

              The first question people ask when they find out I’m retiring is “Are you excited?”  This question does not have a simple answer.  I have been serving as a pastor at the same church for 21 years.  I love the church and we have had fruitful ministry while …

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Frog Music

“Frog Music” is the newest novel from Emma Donoghue, the bestselling author of the novel “Room” which I found to be a riveting story that I couldn’t put down.  “Frog Music” did not live up to this standard. Based on an unsolved crime from the late 1800’s, Emma Donoghue did extensive research and wrote a …

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The Willows

Our first stop in our new adventure is a Manufactured Home park in Akron Ohio called “The Willows.” There are 140 manufactured homes packed tightly in a quiet area on the southeast side of the city of Akron. There are also five full-hookup spots for RVs that need to be in the area for a …

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Old Ladies Represent!

When Tom and I got married, I promised to “love, honor, and play softball.”  That line is funnier if you know my husband, who loves to play games, especially sports, of any kind.  I have never been a particularly good athlete, but with my husband’s insistence encouragement, I learned to play softball competently.  I always …

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