If it’s December, I’m listening to Betty. And tearing up. And marveling. Her voice could bring sweet, melodic beauty to any song. Betty Louise Campbell Workman Cazad died 32 years ago, five days before Christmas on Dec. 20, 1992. Lung cancer. She was 71. She had quit smoking years earlier, but cancer still came and … More My holiday soundtrack, featuring the gifts of my birth mother Betty – and the voice of the father I also never met

I love you, Sister Terry!! The sister I never had until I was 44 years old turned 70 today, Dec. 19, 2024. She is beautiful, loving, passionate, a perfectionist like me, a devoted mother, and a grandmother-to-be. I found her and our 2 brothers, Crys and Robin — my three beloved full siblings — in … More As I continue to count my birth family blessings, wishing a happy 70th to the wonderful sister I was gifted at age 44

Say howdy to Archie! And then say awww, he’s adorable! I took last Friday off from work so Kay and I could drive to Hugo in southeast Oklahoma to meet some wonderful folks who breed Havanese puppies in Vinita in northeast Oklahoma. Kay found them online, and although we’ve never adopted a dog from a … More We’ve got Archie, and our new family member couldn’t be cuter. Now all we need are Jughead, Betty and Veronica!

Kay Caryl Collier, a beautiful bride like no other before or since, and I joined hands and hearts forever 30 years ago today. We both managed to wait for each other until we’d made it to our 30s — she just barely, having turned 30 that June and I having turned 33 that February (we … More Happy 30th anniversary to Kay, the love of my life 💕

I learned very sad news over the weekend – that yet another friend from my formative years is gone. David Fisher, a gifted photographer who spent many long hours with us working for The Battalion, the student newspaper at Texas A&M, in the early 1980s, lost his courageous struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was only … More A beautiful family loses their father and husband to cancer — farmer, stunt man, photographer and heck of a nice guy

I have two wonderful big brothers I’ve known only since 2005, one of whom passed away just a few years later. They’re two of my three full-blooded biological siblings. But I have another big brother I’ve known my whole life, and he’s pretty darn amazing too. Most of you who grew up with me know … More Happy No. 65 to my big brother, the one and only Ikeman!

Douglas Allen Brown was not only a friend to all people – he was a friend to all creatures great and small. His gentle kindness and compassion, innate qualities that flowed in his daily interactions with friends, newspaper colleagues, and strangers, also came shining through when Doug worked with, educated people about, or crossed paths … More It’s Doug’s 67th birthday, and don’t you know they’re having a heavenly party where he is?