Author Archives: joyocala

            Did you ever receive a letter like that from your insurance company?  Just when I thought it was about time to pick up my prescription, the letter arrived announcing “Your request has been denied.”  Of course, it took about … Continue reading →

Growing up our only family vacation was a 6-hour drive on the Ohio/Pennsylvania Turnpikes to my grandmother’s home in the hilly, mountain country side. My dad was always working, so trips and getaways did not happen often. Some of my … Continue reading →

If you served in the military since 1910 or were a student in the last 30+ years, you know the weight of backpacks.  Many of you were in the military. The backpack, knapsack or rucksack or many other names they … Continue reading →

This week I have been with my sisters and brothers, sharing a house in Rhode Island to celebrate a 60th birthday, an engagement of a niece, the 4th of July and to spend time together as a family. We have … Continue reading →

On Independence Day we remember the action of the Second Continental Congress declaring the American Colonies independent from Great Britain. The Declaration contains Thomas Jefferson’s noblest words. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, … Continue reading →

It was my granddaughter’s prom night. Her dad texted pictures – beautiful young women in gorgeous long dresses, escorted by handsome young men in tuxes. It’s said that “A picture is worth a thousand words.” The prom pictures were proof … Continue reading →

It was 1885, when a sixteen year old girl from Kammin, West Prussia boarded a ship for America. The oldest child in her family, she traveled alone. With precious few belongings stowed in her bag, she found her way to … Continue reading →

Do you keep a calendar?  Maybe it’s a pocket calendar; it might be a larger wall calendar; mine is on my cell phone. Each day is filled with entries of where I must go, what I need to do, and … Continue reading →

There are folks who seem to be born with planners in their hands, so organized and “on top” of things. I am organized, but not obsessively to the point of perfection. Several friends of mine are not organized at all … Continue reading →

The other day I was hanging out with a friend. This friend is a Christian, but she doesn’t always act, speak or think like one. Some days, she is completely in-line with God’s path and some days, her life is … Continue reading →