It’s summer in North Carolina — I’ve had all kinds of headaches in my time. Tension headaches due to the stress in my life. Hormonal headaches around the time of my period. Allergy headaches when I am around ragweed, grasses, trees, dust, or all of the other things on my “allergy list”. Headaches due to food…

Summer Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Shine!” — Not everyone will understand your shine. Jason Brown once signed a contract as the highest paid center in the NFL. When the five-year $37.5 million contract with the St. Louis Rams was over, Brown was released by the Rams in 2012, but received an offer from his original team, the Baltimore Ravens. …

At least for the kids — We didn’t go on vacations every year when we were growing up. With five kids and a limited budget, vacations weren’t considered a necessity. A couple in our church had a beach house, though. Not a fancy one, and it was about three long blocks from beach access. …

If you want them to go away, block them and stay silent — It drives me nuts. Writers who write negative pieces about other writers. While I hate it, I do read them more often than I care to admit. I also always gawk at car wrecks and roadside drug searches as I drive by. You must read them, too. I suspect they…

When Western medicine just doesn’t cut it — Acupuncture has fascinated me since I was in my twenties. I saw a picture in a magazine. I believe it was Newsweek. Even thirty-something years later it remains in my brain. A woman was having open-heart surgery in Japan. Her chest cavity was open. Acupuncture was her only anesthesia. I…

But if you’re my friend and really need me I’ll probably be there looking for ways to help — I loved the idea of “Go Fund Me” and Kickstarter when I first heard about them. People helping others, right? I contributed to sick people needing money, start-up businesses, a movie being made on a great real-life story, and many other good reasons to help out others. It was what…

My 84-year-old mom has COVID. At the memory care facility where she lives, six other residents also tested positive. I contacted her nurse practitioner and she called in an anti-viral. I took it to the facility. I was supposed to sign in at the door, have my temperature taken, and be issued an N95 mask. Staff disappeared after letting me in. There was a red sticker on Mom’s door, I suppose signifying she has COVID.

Slam that door now — “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. …