Careful, smart, joyful

By Nancy Black “Duck and cover.” That’s what my generation was taught as children. The Cold War was very real. Most school cafeterias were designated as fall-out shelters. Ducking and covering was also designed to save people from tornadoes. We actually had to duck and cover one day when I was a child at a […]

Tiny bubbles

By Nancy Black The entrance to my house during the holidays was more of a revolving door than a front door. Throughout the month of December, I hosted little bubbles of people in my home. No large gatherings. Just a few select souls at randomly scheduled times.  Personally, I was stricken with bronchitis before Christmas. […]

Gratefully giving

By Nancy Black My friend answered the phone crying. I was calling to cancel our meeting. It was Saturday morning.  She was emotionally distraught because she was watching news coverage of tornadoes, which had just devastated five states overnight. I was canceling because I was sick with a cold and had been asleep since about […]

What is the solution?

By Nancy Black One of our neighbors died this week in a horrible way. She was hit by a speeding car and killed while walking her dog on a sunny afternoon along Ferguson Road. Her dog was killed, too! Street racing in Dallas, and everywhere for that matter, must stop. But how do we do […]

Shipping woes? Why?

By Nancy Black I’m one of the original Shop Local Saturday consumers. I used to shop every Saturday when I was a child. Why? Because my mother was Bronson the Artist, and she had her portrait studio in Olla Podrida. Olla, what? Olla Podrida. It was THE place to shop in Dallas during the 70s […]

Boo Bee

By Nancy Black It’s a silly children’s joke. “How do you scare a bee?” The unknowing subject of said joke responds, “I don’t know. How?” “Boo bee!” the jokester responds, as he or she pokes the other person’s chest. Funny, right? What’s not funny is when you have to take your boo bees to get […]

The Fair is in the air

By Nancy Black Sweater weather! I love those two words. And I love what they mean. They mean it’s time for cool mornings, chilly evenings and, of course, the State Fair of Texas. I’ve missed the State Fair, though, I must admit, I was a bit hesitant to go this year.  But I am going […]

Loyalty can be costly

By Nancy Black I thought I had the best of the best. I was part of an elite crowd. I would always be protected. Now, I feel ignorant, befuddled and really disappointed, mostly in myself. It turns out, the insurance company I have been a member of for more than 32 years has been charging […]

Casper would be ashamed

By Nancy Black Ghosting. If you’re not familiar with the term, here’s the definition from Psychology Today: “Ghosting is abruptly ending communication with someone without explanation. The concept most often refers to romantic relationships but can also describe disappearances from friendships and the workplace.” I was ghosted recently, and it really hurt. I hadn’t spoken […]

Fighting off the biting!

By Nancy Black Fourteen hours later, I woke up. My right eye was not only still swollen, it was now crusted over. So much for taking Benadryl at the first sign of an allergic reaction. It all started with a simple mosquito bite. I live next to a creek. I know to slather myself in […]