Random Connect Points:
Reba's Stories

"The Women" by Kristin Hannah  came recommended to me by several people ranging in age from young 20s to late 80s. It’s the Vietnam-era story of a 21year-old nurse, Frankie McGrath, from a wealthy (and rather sheltered) southern California family. She naively volunteers for an Army Nurse Corp tour in Vietnam following the death of her brother in the war. I was initially drawn to the book because my recollection of the Vietnam War is vague. I was 12 when the soldiers returned home. My parents hadn’t allowed us to watch news coverage. I knew one person who had lost a father in the war. I had a POW bracelet. We never really studied Vietnam in school because that era wasn’t quite yet “history” in the late 70s and early 80s. That was my limited context going into this book. While on her first tour, Frankie lives with and works alongside two other nurses from backgrounds vastly different from hers. These three nurses build a lifelong bond of friendship that carries them through...

As a milestone anniversary of my high school graduation hits this year, I recently unearthed some old photos that prompted some reflection over the many life lessons I’ve learned since that day. A lot has changed since 1979 when my friends and I walked across the gym stage to graduate. That newly minted graduate had no idea what was in store for the next 45 years of a winding, yet in retrospect, amazingly aligned career path. I also had no idea of the lessons I would learn along the way. Over the years during this season of graduation and new beginnings, I have fine-tuned a list of life lessons for new graduates and young professionals. I like to revisit and update this list annually as a way to reflect on the past year. Lessons from diploma to today 1. Take risks. Be curious and look for the unexpected opportunities. No one can expect perfection . It’s OK to be a beginner . You can often learn more from mistakes than successes. Yes, really, you can. 2. Cultivate strong writi...

Our sweet, gentle Flossie left us on Friday after bringing us six years of joy and the most uncomplicated and consistent love that only a dog can offer. Flossie came to us from PetsInc during the September 2018 Hurricane Florence. I had gone to PetsInc to walk dogs that had been evacuated from the coast. Bringing home a dog was the last thing on my mind that afternoon. As I was leaving my shift, I spotted her in a small pen in the office where she enthusiastically greeted visitors as they came into the building. Our eyes met, and I was drawn to her for a few belly scratches and ear rubs. I asked if I could take her for a spin around the property. Long story short (read the full "gotcha" story here ), she came home with me. She was named after the hurricane that took me to PetsInc that muggy, wet September afternoon. The sassy nickname Flossie seemed to fit her better than the stodgier sounding Florence. We didn’t know exactly how old she was, but the vet said her teeth indi...

It's National Handwriting Day which got me to thinking about why handwritten notes bring me such joy.  (I've written before about the magic and mess of handwriting on a blank page. Read that post  here. ) When I was growing up, the family mailbox was a magic chamber that delivered cards with good wishes, post cards from interesting places and an occasional gift from a far-off relative. Today's mailboxes, however, often are more of a torture chamber spewing out political post cards, overdue bills and unwanted solicitations. What used to be a daily treat of checking the mail has now become just another chore.  Think about how you react to what you find in your mail cubby at work or in your mailbox at home. What’s the first thing you automatically throw out? But more importantly, what’s the first thing you put aside to read? Human nature will likely take us to the piece of mail that looks to be the most personal and least threatening…the handwritten, individually stamped en...

It's National Word Nerd Day. I'm guessing most people would rather think about food than grammar rules, right? So here's a chance to do both. My husband's love of grilling isn't all that different from my love of words. To take a page from Stephen Covey, we both begin with the end in mind. My husband knows how he wants the final product to look, feel and taste. I know the story I want to tell. Getting to our individual ends involves some of the same lessons, compromises and processes. Follow some basic rules First, both writing and smoking a pig involve following some basic rules. When smoking a pig, the temperature has to be at a certain level to ensure food safety. There is no way to speed up the process. A lot of personal preference is involved relative to taste or doneness. Writing isn't all that different. You have to accept certain basic rules of grammar and usage to ensure the reader understands what you are trying to say. Writing will flow at its own pac...

Isn’t it great how the new year gives us license to both look back and look forward at the same time? It’s a time for reflection and resolutions. While I do my best to avoid hard core new year’s resolutions I’ll never keep, I do enjoy reflecting on my past year’s reading choices and looking ahead to what might be on my 2024 reading list. First, a quick look back. I didn’t set a reading goal for the year other than to read more, screen less. My “Blink Book Review” series gave me some accountability in that area. The books with yellow checks are part of that series. Are the reviews are available here . A few superlatives: Favorite: “Lessons in Chemistry” by a mile! Unfortunately, I didn’t write a review, but this book is inspiring, funny, insightful and beautifully written. The dog, named Six-Thirty, was my favorite character. (The tv series is OK – the book is stellar.) Most inspiring: “The Art of Calm.” A former Columbia resident, Roger Hutchison shares beautifully his journe...

Christmas trees can gin up pretty strong emotions and opinions in people at this time of year. First, there's the "live" vs. "artificial" tree debate. Then, there's the decision of how early a tree should go up. Is it too early to have a tree up before Thanksgiving? And how long can it stay up? Multi-colored lights vs. white lights? Garland vs. tinsel? The options are endless. I always get into the holiday spirit early seeing my Mississippi sister-in-law and nieces'  trees decorated when we visit  at Thanksgiving. That said,  I fall squarely in the Sunday after Thanksgiving as the first day I feel ready put up a tree. I'm also one of the first on my block to drag my tree to the curb the day after Christmas. While many people these days opt for the more-high tech, beautifully lit, artificial trees that are way easier to put up and take down, I still love the process of choosing and decorating a live tree.  This is the first year I've bought a full...