My Aunt Gladys has always been a treasure to me. She and Uncle Lester, who is now deceased, often cared for me and my brother when we were children. It was a period of uncertainty in our family’s life, as mother and daddy would travel to doctors in Galveston and El Paso searching for treatments for his failing heart. Gladys, Lester and their son (my cousin) Danny would move into our house, an extended family there to provide comfort and nurturing when we most needed it. She is our Decker … [Read more...]
Giving Thanks
With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, I am in a reflective mood. I feel so grateful for the life I have had. Not only did I have the best career in the world – serving children and parents of four different school districts as a teacher and school administrator – but recently I have had the opportunity to share my story with others through my two books and numerous speaking engagements. If you have read my blogs or my first book, Where the Water Meets the Sand, you know I have faced profound … [Read more...]
Kick the Can
The arrival of the Dog Days of summer have gotten me thinking about my childhood – in particular, playing Kick the Can, a popular after-dinner pastime in my old neighborhood. Each night, kids who lived within a two-block radius of our house would slowly gather, like itinerant moths drawn by the first flickering flame of a Lone Star lightning bug display. I grew up during the 1950s in far West Texas, about 30 miles from the New Mexico border, where it was crucial to wait until nightfall to … [Read more...]
Musical Memories: Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore
I’ll never forget the first time I heard John Prine’s ugly, horrible song “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore.” It was in 1971, shortly after I had left the Menninger Clinic to begin my life as a single mother of a young child. My husband Larry had been recently killed in the Vietnam War and my heart was still tender. Larry died on February 19, 1971, and when I first heard the song, I was furious with Prine and his provocative lyrics. But, I was intrigued enough to buy a copy … [Read more...]
Musical Memories: I am Woman
Two unrelated events that evoke the image of strong women in America took place this past week and got me thinking. First, on Saturday, America was witness to the spectacle of at least 3 million women, children, and men marching for women’s rights across Washington, D.C. Around the country and the world hundreds of thousands of others marched in similar “sister" marches across at least 650 cities and small towns. The sight made me proud to live in a country in which freedom to gather and … [Read more...]
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