"With God's Grace Our Worst Past
Becomes Our Best Future"
Becomes Our Best Future"
Fishing with my father was anything but boring, but my mother dreaded every fishing season. “Your father is a veritable Mr. Hyde when he fishes,” she would say, generally including an emphatic gesture like hitting Dad with the newspaper, pretending a fly had landed on his shirt. “It’s safer to cuddle up to a rattler than be stuck in a boat with your father. He’s done a lot of crazy things—the craziest was the day he brought home a trout he caught at Butternut Creek.”
Dad squeezed Mother’s hand. “I suppose she’s right.”
They shared the tale that symbolized their sixty plus years together.
“Butternut Creek is so narrow,” Dad said, “you could toss a stone from one side to the other. And the trees like to hold hands across the creek. I cast my line, and I was the first to get a hit. By the force of the pull, I knew he was a big feller.”
Downstream, Eddie, Dad’s fishing buddy, was about to cast when he saw Dad struggling to hold his line. “Looks like a keeper, Cal,” he shouted. “Better use the net!”
“I left it in the truck!”
“Your father is always forgetful,” Mother interjected.
Dad could see the truck in an open field about a quarter of a mile downstream. It might as well have been two miles away. Eddie raced to retrieve it while Dad battled the trout. Long minutes later, Eddie plunged into chest-high rapids. For an agonizing second, Dad thought his amazing catch of the day would become cataloged with the other trillion stories of the one that got away.
“Got him!” Eddie shouted as he emerged triumphantly. They stopped at the water’s edge and shared an emotional moment sans tears and embraces. Eddie simply stated, “Got to have a picture of this one, Cal.”
Before the days of cell phones and Instagram, Dad hung his head in defeat. “Well, I don’t own a camera.”
“Cal, we’ve got to have proof. Nobody’s going to believe we actually caught this fellow.”
“Well, neither one of us has one. At least we know what we caught.”
The men trudged home with no lasting memento to herald their deed.
Mom came to the rescue.
As much as she despised fishing, she understood what this catch meant to her husband. “Put the fish in the tub,” she said. “I’ll find us a camera.” The next day she borrowed one from her employer, and the picture found its way into Dad’s brag book.
THE YEARS THE LOCUSTS ATE
12/28/2020 1:00:00 AM by: JUNE FOSTER
CATHEDRAL STATE PARK, WEST VIRGINIA
12/21/2020 1:00:00 AM by: JOHN BARRINGER
PRIME OF MY LIFE
12/14/2020 1:00:00 AM by: GAIL KITTLESON
FULL CIRCLE
12/7/2020 1:00:00 AM by: JAYME H MANSFIELD
GREEN STUFF AND HUBS
12/2/2020 3:30:00 PM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
NOEL: THE CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS
11/30/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
GREEN STUFF MAGIC
11/23/2020 7:48:00 PM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
WHEN GRANDMA FORGETS
11/2/2020 1:00:00 AM by: CRYSTAL BOWMAN
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF BLUE ZONES?
10/26/2020 1:00:00 AM by: SALLY JO PITTS
FIVE WAYS SENIORS CAN BOOST THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS
10/19/2020 1:00:00 AM by: GINNY DENT BRANT
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM JOIN 'EM
9/28/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
WALKING IN A WRITER'S WONDERLAND
9/7/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
CREAMING
8/31/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
LIFE IS THE ADVENTURE
8/24/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
QUITTING MY DAY JOB
8/17/2020 1:00:00 AM by: DEBRA COLEMAN JETER
ADAPT OR DIE
7/27/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SAY THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS IN BLUE
7/20/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE SWEET COUPLE HOLDING HANDS
7/13/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MELISSA HENDERSON
SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!
7/6/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
FROM FICTION TO NON-FICTION AND BACK AGAIN
6/29/2020 1:00:00 AM by: GAIL KITTLESON
WHO SAID GROWING OLD IS FUN?
6/22/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARTHA ROGERS
AND NOT TO YIELD
6/15/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
MY CULTURAL DISCONNECT
6/8/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
WHAT IS RETIREMENT
6/1/2020 1:00:00 AM by: JULIE COSGROVE
LOOKING UP OR LOOKING AWAY
5/25/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SEEKING GOD
5/11/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
HOW OLD ARE YOU
5/4/2020 1:00:00 AM by: Rachel J. Good
IT'S NOT OKAY
4/27/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
EMBRACING MY INNER BOOMER
4/20/2020 1:00:00 AM by: BARBARA BRITTON
THE RACE FOR LILY
4/13/2020 1:00:00 AM by: SHERRI STEWART
GRANNY ALICE
4/6/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LYNNE BASHAM TAGAWA
RESILIENCE
3/29/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
LIVING WITH CHANGE
3/9/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
WHEN THE GROCERY STORE CLERK HAS TO CHECK YOUR AGE
2/24/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MELISSA HENDERSON
THE IMPORTANCE OF CREAMING
2/17/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
FRIENDS AT ANY AGE
2/3/2020 1:00:00 AM by: ERIN UNGER
IDENTITY CHECK
1/27/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM
1/20/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
MY POSSESSIONS MATURE ALONG WITH ME
1/13/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARIE WATTS
EYES FRONT
1/6/2020 10:51:00 AM by: TERRI MAIN
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING'
12/30/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SANTA'S RELUCTANT HELPER
12/23/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH
12/16/2019 1:00:00 AM by: DEBRA COLEMAN JETER
VANQUISHING THE CHRISTMAS BLUES
12/9/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
GRANDMAS THEN VS GRANDMAS NOW
12/2/2019 3:41:00 PM by: GAIL SATTLER
TECHNO BLUES
11/25/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
ADAPT OR DIE
11/18/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
CREAMING
11/11/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
When our Get Up and Go Gets Up and Goes
11/4/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
LIFE IS THE ADVENTURE
10/28/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
MY LIFE AS A BARCODE
10/21/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE QUEST FOR THIN
10/14/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE AMERICAN DREAM
10/7/2019 1:00:00 AM by: ANGELA BREIDENBACH
FROM GOLDEN YEARS TO GOLDEN BELLS
9/30/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE CHORDS THAT BIND MY MEMORIES
9/23/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
JUST BE STILL
9/16/2019 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
PRINCE CHARMING, SPIDERS, AND CHEMO
9/2/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
GRAY IS GRAND
8/26/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LOREE PEERY
A GOOD QUESTION
8/19/2019 1:00:00 AM by: GEORGE CARGILL
LOVING THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION
8/12/2019 1:00:00 AM by: ERIN UNGER
MAKING PRETTY THINGS
8/5/2019 1:00:00 AM by: KATHY MCKINSEY
ARE YOU TOO OLD TO BECOME AN AUTHOR
7/29/2019 1:00:00 AM by: HARRY WEGLEY
ENJOY THE MEAL
7/22/2019 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME
7/15/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
KEEPING IT FRESH
7/8/2019 1:00:00 AM by: WANDA O. HOT
OVERFLOWING WITH BLESSINGS
7/1/2019 1:00:00 AM by: CLEO LAMPOS
HAVING THE PRIME OF MY LIFE
6/24/2019 1:00:00 AM by: JO MASSARO
GOLDEN GIRL
6/17/2019 1:00:00 AM by: PAT JEANNE DAVIS
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW
6/10/2019 1:00:00 AM by: CLEO LAMPOS
Food, Families, and Fond Memories
6/3/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
FOR THOSE OVER FIFTY-FIVE
5/20/2019 1:00:00 AM by: JUNE FOSTER
NEXT GENERATION
5/13/2019 1:00:00 AM by: KATHLEEN NEELY
Mimi and Bop
5/6/2019 1:00:00 AM by: Melissa Henderson
NEVER TO OLD TO START OVER
4/29/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE WRITER'S CALLING
4/15/2019 1:00:00 AM by: SHERRI STEWART
PLAYING THROUGH THE FOG
4/8/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO TURN OFF THE GPS
4/1/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
DON’T CALL HER MA’AM
3/25/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
When Your Past Looms Longer than Your Future
3/18/2019 1:00:00 AM by: Debra Coleman Jeter
OUR MCDONALDS
3/11/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
BORN TOO LATE
3/4/2019 1:00:00 AM by: DIANNE BARKER
PERSPECTIVE
2/25/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LISA LICKEL
IS IT THE BEGINNING OR THE END
2/18/2019 1:00:00 AM by: KATHLEEN NEELY
MY TO-DO LIST
2/11/2019 2:16:00 PM by: SHERRI STEWART
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
2/3/2019 9:07:00 PM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
MAMA, I CAN'T TAKE A BATH THERE'S A FISH IN THE TUB
1/21/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
EAT RIGHT NOW LIVE LONGER LATER
1/14/2019 1:00:00 AM by: Jude Urbanski
AM I STRESSED?
1/7/2019 1:57:00 PM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SHOULD VS WANT
12/31/2018 3:58:00 PM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
I'LL BE ALONE FOR CHRISTMAS ... YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
12/24/2018 1:00:00 AM by: Julie Cosgrove
THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE
12/17/2018 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT
LIVING WITHOUT REGRET
12/10/2018 1:00:00 AM by: Grant Ferguson
GROWING UP CAN BE FUN SO IS GETTING OLDER
12/3/2018 1:00:00 AM by: ELLIE GUSTAFSON
SOARING WITH BROKEN WINGS
11/19/2018 1:00:00 AM by: Linda Wood Rondeau
NEVER TOO LATE
11/5/2018 8:33:00 PM by: DIANE TATUM
The Not So Good Good Old Days
10/22/2018 1:05:00 AM by: Linda Wood Rondeau
