On my Christmas card this year, “May your days be merry,” is code for — may your days be filled with hope and faith. Read more.
DON'T MISS!
I've written hundreds and hundreds of posts over the years. To help you find your way to the best of the best, I've tagged my favorites "Don't Miss!" Scroll down here to find them.
Another way to locate Riffs on Life that you might enjoy is to click above on your favorite category – "My Ever-Changing Family," perhaps, or "Funny Button." You can also use the search box located way up top to hunt for stories by topic. There's fun reading at "garden," "aging," "kids" and, of course, "Jon."
Widowed: I Got Caught in the Act of Crying for My Husband
I came home to what I thought was an empty house but, widowed, I got caught in the act of crying for my husband. Noisily. Read more.
A Widow’s Christmas Card — Where’s Jon When I Need Him Most?
My first widow’s Christmas card — my husband isn’t here to compose the poem and photoshop the card. How do I pull it off without him? Read more.
Betty Rollin on How to Talk to a Widow
Betty Rollin on how to talk to a widow: Betty says don’t assume she’s over it just because a year has gone by. I say, ask me about my garden. Read more.
An Urban Oasis: Keeping It Wild — And Fire Resistant
Beaconsfield Canyon was blighted with trash and invasive species — until its human neighbors took it upon themselves to restore their wild urban oasis. Read more.
Widowed: I Get to Have It My Way Now
Jon is gone. He has forfeited his right to have a say in things. Now that I’m widowed. I get to have it my way, 100 percent of the time. Read more.
Widowed: ‘Let Us Tend Our Garden’
Translating Voltaire for my backyard: “We must cultivate our garden,” feels bossy and rife with certitude. I prefer, “Let us tend our garden.” Read more.