Promise of Something New

There was this time in the early 90s when I felt the world was full of potential, especially in autumn when the air was so cool and crisp. That potential tends to hang at times now, lurking, almost beckoning - a promise, so right and fertile.

The idea of being a teacher in a small town with crisp autumn air, harvest festivals and apple cider -there are just so many images, smells and sounds that bring me back to that potential, to the person I was and to a promise but I haven't felt in a really long time.

It is so crazy how that promise of something new is so fleeting.

I have often wrote about the promise of something new as being the most wonderful gift any of us can have.

Driving to work this morning, it was drizzling; and it was cool outside. Somehow, the whisper of that promise seeped through the dampness; and I am pulled backward in time to a place where my heart and mind were full of potential and promise. Forcing all the current worries aside, I tried desperately to hang onto that feeling. As it retreated - quietly and quickly as it had entered - I ached. I felt a sadness for its absence.

Memories are like that...........they drift in and out at unexpected times.

Using this experience as a gauge of my "hope" level, I realize that I am pretty much out of hope. This does not mean that I don't feel the level rising, but t he last couple of years has drained my hope levels.

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Eggnog French Toast

~Eggnog French Toast Casserole~ Update: this has been a very busy post, viewed almost daily and consistently since it's original publication. I would love to hear about anyone's attempts at making this Eggnog French Toast. copied from Women of Faith daily newsletter This recipe sounds so amazing. I wondered if this was the casserole that Jessica and Rachel ended up rolling around in on the floor in The Family Stone . A little digging revealed that instead, it is actually Breakfast Strata which sounds equally appealling. I did not like the movie, The Family Stone. Maybe it was too realistic. Maybe I was hoping for something more whimsical and hopeful. I have tried a couple times since my initial viewing to watch it, but I cannot bring myself to sit through it. Eggnog French Toast Casserole A make-ahead breakfast perfect for Christmas morning! 1 loaf French Bread 8 oz. Cream Cheese 10 Eggs 2 cups Eggnog ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon Slice a

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Revolutionary War beginnigns

With the 4th of July only a couple days away, I thought I'd spend some time visiting with the family and share some of our family heritage. As the United States turns 236 years old this week, thinking about those unique ancestors who risked so much to bring about the American independence takes me back to Virginia, North / South Carolina and Maryland and the original 13 colonies. We all get so wrapped up in our lives that we forget to honor the past; or, as is often the case, families are unaware of the past. Technology opens the coffins of complacency and sweeps away the dust of indifference. I love learning about my ancestors. They are some unique individuals who lived life in another time and place but who are still present in our genetics. Think about it...........the same DNA that existed in a person 236 years ago is chronicled in my own DNA. It is almost like a message left in a bottle...........all I have to do is open the bottle. Our collective written history is no

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