Aug 16, 2023

Who knew writing my memoir would lead to a podcast? I sure didn't. But a literary agent reviewing my book informed me that since I was not famous or an athlete or politician known to thousands of followers, I must market & introduce myself to a broad audience to sell my book. Disappointed but not deterred, I researched...

Aug 2, 2023

From kids screaming in the grocery store to seeing them trying to get a fourth dessert at the cookout, on more than one occasion I have thought, "That child has no home training." But watching my children do things I know they were not raised to do or think, and remembering some of my questionable youth choices, changed...

Jul 19, 2023

Maya Angelou became inspired to write when she joined the Harlem Writers Guide in the late 1950s. My inspiration to write was somewhat similar. After signing up for a writing class to keep my mind sharp, I was challenged to write a short story about a life event. My story about domestic violence caught the eye of the...

Jul 5, 2023

I nurtured relatives, charities, and people asking for spare change for over forty years but denied myself. Beginning in my fifties, I focused on what brings me joy. I volunteered at a women’s shelter, a children’s hospital, and my son’s school. I threw myself a big birthday bash, enjoyed lunch with girlfriends,...

Jun 14, 2023

My Daddy, Abraham Billups, was the first man I ever loved. I adored his flawless skin, self-assuredness, and unparalleled work ethic. But as a child growing up on his Alabama cotton field, I did not appreciate my father’s positive attributes. All I could see was his stormy temperament. There is more to this episode in...