Tag Archives: life lessons

Just Say Yes

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Silver in the Barn

Five Photos, Five Stories #5 Saying “yes” is easy, I suppose, to the extrovert. Not so much for those of us of a more introverted nature. It’s not that we’re anti-social….exactly….but it takes more of an effort to mentally gear … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Challenges | Tagged blogging, extrovert, fiction, introvert, life lessons, Personal Principles | 106 Comments

The Ecstatic Gesture

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Silver in the Barn

This is not a post about daffodils, I assure you, in spite of the quote I am about to share. As we all know, the only way to plant daffodils is to pile them on to a tray, and then … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Ruminations | Tagged Beverley Nichols, daffodils, death, extrovert, grief, introvert, life lessons, mourning | 155 Comments

The Tyranny of Speed

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Silver in the Barn

I was walking Max and Berkley on a country road in Roanoke a few years ago when I came across an abandoned cemetery in which were growing, quite abundantly, clumps of iris. BH was dispatched to dig a few rhizomes out of the concrete-hard … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged Beverley Nichols, Garden, iris, life lessons | 141 Comments

A Morning With Jocelyn

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Silver in the Barn

My very occasional housekeeper, Margarita, appeared yesterday with her “tail.” That’s how Mexican people refer to their trailing children, she explained, and with spring break upon us, the tail meant a visit from ten-year old Jocelyn. I first got to … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Random Ruminations | Tagged arvorvitae, compost, Garden, homonyms, life lessons | 149 Comments

My Phantom Son-in-Law

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Silver in the Barn

Most days I manage to hold him at bay, that son-in-law I once imagined I’d have. It’s pointless to indulge in thoughts of what might have been if life had gone as planned. But sometimes, when I least expect it, he kicks down … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Ruminations | Tagged family, health, life lessons, mental health, Personal Principles | 137 Comments

“She Who Must” Strikes Again

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Silver in the Barn

True blue friends are hard enough to find; couple friends can really be tough. All four have to like each other for the friendship to properly gel. This can be a tricky feat, as we all know; at least one person is … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Ruminations | Tagged friendship, life lessons, rumpole, she who must | 103 Comments

Ototoxicity and a Christmas Miracle

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Silver in the Barn

Some mornings I stay in bed and just listen for a moment. Sound is all around me. The house creaks. Outside are chirping birds or pattering raindrops or distantly passing cars. I can hear myself breathing and the soft rustle of the sheets as I move. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Random Ruminations | Tagged audiology, brain injury, cochlear implant, deafness, hearing aids, life lessons, ototoxicity, VCU Medical Center | 118 Comments

Two Words

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Silver in the Barn

It’s the strangest thing to find yourself playing a role for which you have no preparation and no escape. That’s how I felt when medical staff looked at me with such kindness and empathy and a trace of “This poor … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Ruminations | Tagged epilepsy, ICU, life lessons, seizure disorder | 89 Comments

Detour to Little Rock

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Silver in the Barn

It had been a tough four years leading up to this long-delayed and much needed vacation. Let’s just say that the launching of our business, a long-held dream of my husband’s, had not been as successful as we had anticipated. Sales growth? … Continue reading →