A Way with Words Blog - Allie's Praise

Dear Aunt Nell: Idiots & Trail Mix

10/14/2020

Dear Aunt Nell,
With the holidays just around the corner, I can't help but think about our delicious southern family dinners. In my recollection, all of our dinners were reasons for thanksgiving.

Time and distance have changed a lot about Thanksgiving for us, but one thing hasn't changed for me...

Dear Aunt Nell: What about s'mores?

10/7/2020

Dear Aunt Nell,
Tom and I tried to be so practical when we were planning and downsizing for the move to our new home. At the time it seemed like we'd covered as many bases as possible. So much for best-laid plans.

Dear Aunt Nell: Birthday Season!

9/23/2020

Dear Aunt Nell,
The holiday season will soon be upon us. I love the holidays, don't you? But before the more festive holidays, our family has several other celebrations.

Dear Aunt Nell: Ethics can just plain suck.

9/9/2020

Dear Reader,
You are invited to join me for a new way to reflect on the world around me. Perhaps together we can discover common interests, joys, and concerns in letters to Aunt Nell.
Sincerely,
Alice

Things we do for love...

8/5/2020

Have you noticed, Dear Reader, that from the first breath she takes, a grandchild calls us to more? Do more, try more, love more.

And sometimes, right in the middle of being role models, caregivers, and confidantes, I realize she's teaching me new things instead of the other way around.

Pillow Talk

6/24/2020

Is anybody else as crazy as I am about using pillows to decorate? I know, silly question considering all the myriads of options out there.

Flower Power

6/3/2020

Once upon a time I dreamed of learning to arrange flowers and become an outstanding photographer in my next life. Sometimes we need to monitor and adjust, don't we, Dear Reader?

Hope Revealed: Worth the Trip

12/23/2019

Everywhere we look there seems to be poverty, corruption, natural disaster. What hope could there possibly be for any kind of future?

Hope Revealed: The Night Shift

12/16/2019

Lord, a dead-end job in a backwater town...no hope in sight. The rabbi says King David started out this way, hard to believe. Maybe shepherds weren't considered to be the lowest of the low back then.

Hope Revealed: Blessed are you!

12/2/2019

Holy God, did I hear right? I'm just a girl...nothing special. Are you sure you want to entrust me with such an enormous task?

I'm scared, Lord, scared and confused.