• Breaking Waves

    Breaking Waves

    The amazing Atlantic Ocean! Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

  • 1st Flights Post-COVID? Inconsistent. But So Is Everything.

    1st Flights Post-COVID? Inconsistent. But So Is Everything.

    After rescheduling a trip to see my daughter three times since COVID hit, I finally traveled the first week of July. I was on four separate flights, all with American Airlines. As a result of only using one airline, obviously my testimony here is limited. Many people were surprised to…

  • Aerial Views

    Aerial Views

    Images: Tales from the Mama Duck

  • 5 Days. 4 Nights. No Phone.

    5 Days. 4 Nights. No Phone.

    For the first time ever, I decided to use a random passcode for my phone. Let me first say that I’ve only recently even started to use a passcode. I often leave my phone on my desk at work and colleagues have begun wandering in while I’m not in my…

  • Impromptu Bonfire🔥

    Impromptu Bonfire🔥

    When I arrived home after an 11-hour day at work last week, my husband was burning wood he had recently chopped in the back of our land. The fire looked so inviting, I ate dinner, went back outside and sat by the flames, still in my work clothes. My oldest…

  • Wordless Wednesday

    Wordless Wednesday

  • Empty and Barren. Full and Bountiful.

    Empty and Barren. Full and Bountiful.

    During a recent walk at the park, I stopped to stare at these trees, contemplating how the two different trees reflect people’s lives. Or, at least resemble differing seasons in their lives. One person can be the empty, impoverished, stark tree – yet, they work, travel, parent and operate in…

  • Lily of the Valley

    Lily of the Valley

    Normally, I’m not appreciative enough of our Lily of the Valley. This year, for no reason in particular, I’ve really been enjoying it. It’s a sizable patch located outside our back door and the joke at my house is, “you can’t kill it”. I’ve tried. The section of the Lily…

  • Could Libraries Make a Come Back?

    Could Libraries Make a Come Back?

    As someone who still loves to hold a hardcover book and turn paper pages, I can’t help but wonder if libraries could make a real comeback. Two situations have caused me to ponder this lately. 1) What today’s college students think is “research” makes me cringe when I’m grading papers.…