I sent out a couple of these postcards this morning. This is the message I wrote on the back: It is almost watermelon season. I wish I knew how to pick a good melon. I've tried all the tricks, taken all the advice -- thumped, smelled, examined stems, and looked for bee stings. I've not found the secret to one sweet with watermelon sugar. I wish you a summer of sweetness though. And though it is not technically summer yet, I wish you sweet melons and beautiful days. (If you...

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of my uncle, "Big John" Naegle. At age 76, he was definitely gone too soon. The funeral was an...

Losing a spouse causes unpredictable behavior. After 25 years of marriage, my first husband, Chuck, died of complications from two lung transplants. In reaction to my loss of him - and it was a huge loss - and feeling vulnerable and alone, I married a man from Ghana. After we suffered through immigration, he, Raxtus, came to the United States. We lived together for three months, and he left -- to Connecticut. Though not especially sad that he is gone, I have suffered a loss. All...