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September 16, 2026 Wednesday, September 16, 2026 I awoke at around 6:30 this morning and was greeted by another incredibly gorgeous and comfortable September day. At nearly 7:00 AM, it was 61 degrees with 90 percent humidity and a gentle five-mile-per-hour breeze coming from the south-southwest. After beginning my second cup of coffee at the kitchen counter near the patio door, I moved outside to the deck to watch the world awaken. As the buses passed by carrying students to

September 1, 2026 A Quiet Start, a Successful Pumpkin Roll, and a Few Unexpected Visits I started the first morning of September considerably later than usual. After falling asleep in the recliner around 8:00 last night, waking close to midnight, doing some blog work, transferring laundry from the washer to the dryer, folding another load, and then watching television until around 3:00 AM while drifting in and out of sleep, I finally made it to bed. Even though I woke several

August 19, 2026 Morning Watch, Wildlife, Dinner, and Evening Reflection The day began at 6:38 AM with the first cup of coffee and a familiar trip to the patio doors to assess the morning. The temperature was a cool 61°, humidity was high at 92%, and a light southwest breeze of about 4 mph was moving through the yard. There was considerable cloud cover, though enough breaks were appearing to suggest that the morning might still produce something worthwhile. By about 6:41 AM, t

August 1, 2026 A Morning That Defied the Forecast The day began much earlier than usual, with me awake and moving about by 4:30 AM. The weather forecast called for nothing more than a cloudy, overcast day, so I wasn't expecting much in the way of a sunrise. Yet, as I stood inside near the kitchen counter watching through the patio doors, I noticed subtle hints of color beginning to develop around 5:30 AM. Within only a few minutes, the eastern sky transformed into a breathtak

July 24, 2026 A Beautiful Beginning At 6:14 this morning, I was greeted by a sunrise that far exceeded my expectations. The eastern sky was painted with delicate streaks of gold and soft white against an increasingly blue backdrop, making for a peaceful start to the day. Although the outdoor temperature was a rather brisk 55 degrees with humidity at 84 percent and a light northeast breeze around 4 to 5 miles per hour, it was simply too chilly to enjoy my coffee out on the dec

July 10, 2026 (One year after the day everything changed) 6:21 AM Another gray curtain has been drawn across the morning sky. The temperature stands at 71 degrees with the humidity hovering at 93 percent as a gentle southwest breeze of about six miles per hour stirs the heavy air. The weather service has issued a flood watch, and it appears another round of rain is waiting in the wings. Unfortunately, the morning also brought yet another malfunction with my medical equipment

July 1, 2026 5:19 AM I awoke around 4:30 this morning but lingered in bed until five. As soon as I slid open the patio door, it felt less like stepping into a summer morning and more like opening the door to an indoor pool, a wave of warm, humid air rolled into the house as if someone had switched on a giant sauna. At 5:19 the thermometer already read 76 degrees, with humidity hovering at 88 percent. A gentle southwest breeze stirred the treetops at only four miles per hour,

June 19, 2026 Morning Watch, Helping Hands, and Evening Calm Early Morning Watch (5:30–8:00 AM) After a restful night and waking around 5:30 AM, the day began with coffee, familiar routines, and another visit to the patio door for Morning Watch. The temperature sat at a comfortable 60 degrees with an expected high of 74, and the weather forecast appeared to be exactly right. The air was remarkably dry, with no dew or moisture on the deck or furniture. As the sun climbed highe

June 1, 2026 Morning Brew & Reflections — 6:35 AM As I scan the horizon this morning, the sun has now climbed to perhaps ten degrees above it, its light filtering through the branches of the pine tree just beyond the deck. What only moments ago appeared to be an ordinary scene has been transformed by the arrival of daylight. What only moments ago appeared to be an ordinary scene has been transformed by the arrival of daylight. Long shadows stretch across the lawn toward the h

May 28, 2026 Morning Brew & Reflections At 5:21 AM, after another difficult battle with intense leg cramps, I finally gave up trying to stay in bed and decided to start the day. The pain had started shortly after midnight, far more severe than usual. What once could typically be eased by simply walking around became something far more frightening last night. For several minutes the pain was so intense I found myself literally screaming while trying to move across the floor.

May 1, 2026 Morning Brew & Reflections It feels like a pause more than a beginning... The sky arrived before I did today, already awake, already clear, stretching blue across a horizon that promised more than the forecast ever could. I stepped into the cold not to greet the day,but to confirm that I was still in it. Sleep never really found me, just moments of quiet pretending to be rest, and now the weight of that absence follows me into the morning. There are things that ne

April 17, 2026 Morning Reflections — 5:18 AM The night unfolded in segments once again. first the recliner, where sleep came early around 8 PM, only to release me at 1:30 AM. From there, the couch offered a brief refuge, a blanket and pillow standing in for the comfort of bed, but even that arrangement proved temporary. By 5 AM, the restlessness returned, a quiet reminder that this is still a body in negotiation with something new. This added equipment I now carry brings wi

April 1, 2026 It’s 7:42 AM on Wednesday, April 1. The day didn’t exactly begin with conviction. I first stirred around 4:30 this morning, only to make the decision, wisely, I think, to retreat back beneath the covers for a while longer. It wasn’t until around 6:00 that I finally rose for good, making my way toward the kitchen to begin the ritual that so often sets the tone for the day… that first cup of coffee. Mug in hand, I walked to the patio doors, hoping, perhaps unreal

March 20, 2026 Spring, Even If Hidden It’s the first morning of spring. You wouldn’t know it by looking outside, the sky is sealed in gray, the sun still tucked somewhere beyond reach. It's 40°… feels like 34°. A day forecasted for clouds and rain. But I’ve learned…spring doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it arrives quietly, like a memory…like a presence you can’t quite see, but somehow still feel. I’ve been up since 5:30 AM, coffee cup number three warming my h

March 1, 2026 Walking Down the Hill This morning started later than I ever would’ve expected. It was 9:56 AM when I finally got out of bed , and truthfully, I probably would’ve slept longer if my phone hadn’t rung around 9:15. Even then, my first instinct was to roll over and drift off again until reality set in and I realized the time. When I finally made my way into the kitchen, I moved with more caution than usual. That familiar instability was there again, not exactly

February 1, 2026 A Full Day, The Good Kind of Tired I was up early again this morning, too early, really, and I couldn’t help noticing the same pattern that’s been hanging around for a while now: sleep that comes in pieces instead of one solid stretch. Between short nights and long naps, it probably adds up, but it doesn’t always feel like it adds up. By late morning I had plans for brunch with my sister-in-law, and I knew I’d better call and remind her, because she’s been

January 1, 2026 I actually can’t believe I’m really up and moving around. I first woke up around 4 AM which was insane because I didn’t go to bed until 1:30 AM. Obviously not sufficient sleep for a normal person, so I’m guessing I’m not so normal. I actually thought twice about staying up but after getting out of bed at 4 AM I really didn’t feel bad at all, I jumped into the shower and was out into the kitchen by 4:30 AM pouring my 1st cup of coffee for the day, and appa

December 20. 2025 Morning Brew & Reflections It’s 5:47 AM and I’m standing here looking out into a dark, gray morning that already feels heavy. Last night I was exhausted, wiped out, the kind of tired where you’re sure sleep will come fast. But it didn’t. I tossed and turned for hours, staring at the clock in disbelief, and the hardest part wasn’t even the lack of sleep. It was the loneliness of it, lying in bed alone… and knowing I’d wake up alone. Fran, I think the appro

December 1, 2025 It’s currently 6:45 AM Monday, December 1 and as I peer out the patio door, passed the deck, I’m greeted by a wall of gray, a very large wall of gray. With no signs of the sun or the sunrise anywhere to be seen. The forecast for the week isn’t making any promises relative to anything I want to hear, with no possible signs of sunshine until perhaps, with emphasis on perhaps, mid week. Considering my current mood, that’s just totally unacceptable, but someth

November 16, 2025 Sunday, November 16 – A Soundtrack for the Sky (Morning Brew & Reflections) This morning’s coffee and toast came with a soundtrack that felt anything but random. One song after another lined up with my memories and my grief, forever, love, far-away places, one wish, a mother’s lullaby, giving you the best that I've got. My head can explain it as algorithms and playlists, but my heart heard something else entirely: a series of quiet messages stitched together