Have you ever considered why God gives us animals to live among us? This is Vern, our French Bulldog. Vern doesn’t speak, but it isn’t difficult to know what he likes and what he would rather avoid. He loves the heat that radiates out of the fireplace. When he hears the word “walk”, he jumpsContinue reading “Our Furry Friends”
Category Archives: A Practical Approach to Experiencing Joy
In the Beginning
In the beginning, life appeared good. I mean just look at this picture! I’m sure you are assuming I had to be the center of my parents’ world. But that wasn’t exactly true. When I was born, I didn’t realize I was part of a group of five, with just three and a half yearsContinue reading “In the Beginning”
Getting to Know Me
It only makes sense to start this blog with a picture of me doing something I absolutely love: cruising! In the last ten years, my husband of forty-six years and I began going out on the deep blue seas exploring the world. We typically cruise three or four times a year, and during these trips,Continue reading “Getting to Know Me”
James Buchanan’s Dream
Takes a different direction Last week, I visited the Rubenstein Library and stumbled upon a fascinating exhibit about the founding of Duke University. One of the highlights was an architect’s rendering of what they envisioned the university would look like. If you look near the bottom of the sketch, you’ll notice a lake that JamesContinue reading “James Buchanan’s Dream”
Durham, in the Present
The other night, my husband and I attended an event given by Preservation Durham. I was extremely impressed by the number of young people who came out. This organization has been in existence since 1974 and they were celebrating their fiftieth anniversary. Fifty years ago I was a junior at the old Hillside High School,Continue reading “Durham, in the Present”
Life as a Writer
You may have been wondering why I haven’t blogged in a while. It’s not because I haven’t been writing. On the contrary, I’ve been writing a lot. But instead of focusing on Richard Harvey Wright, I’ve been researching the life of Brodie Leonidas Duke. You see, after I finished writing A Story of Durham: ToldContinue reading “Life as a Writer”
History Through Letters
1893 was a very interesting time in the history of Durham. William T. Blackwell, the man known as the father of Durham was struggling. He had sold his shares in the William T. Blackwell Company a decade ago, opened up a bank that failed, and now has fallen on desperate times. You can see thisContinue reading “History Through Letters”
What if?
Brodie Duke was definitely an outsider trying to find his way. Being the eldest son of a different mother, I’m sure he never felt like he fit in. But more than that, Brodie must have experienced PTSD after serving as a prison guard.
History Just Didn’t Happen
Durham History had it’s controversial ups and downs. Julian Shakespeare Carr is concerned what a cheap hotel would do for the city.
Treasured History
A gift described by Duke University Librarian Benjamin E. Powell as “one of the largest and most important manuscript collections to come to Duke University in recent years,”