Priest's Confessions

I am married to a lifelong educator. From the time he graduated with his doctorate, he has spent his working life educating the teachers who teach our children.He obtained funding for a Science Education Center to be built at USC Aiken. The Center ha ...  full story

Since when did apologizing become good enough? It seems as though recently people think that it is okay to behave as badly as they want in the moment, as long as they apologize afterwards. But is that good enough?Is it okay that Gov. Sanford shirked ...  full story

“In a democratic world, as in a democratic Nation, power must be linked with responsibility” – Franklin D. RooseveltWhen the news broke that Gov. Sanford had been located, I was sitting in an airport in Los Angeles. Even as far away as Hawaii, baggag ...  full story

Hemahema is Hawaiian for clumsy.That’s me. And I proved it on a recent family trip.We began our Hawaiian vacation by hiking to Volcanoes National Park to see the lava flow in the darkness of early evening.I twisted my knee, forcing us to turn back … ...  full story

My “baby” turned 18 this week.I guess that means he is no longer a baby, but to me he will always be that.We’ve attended many events recently as he winds up his high school career.During the band banquet, I watched with pride as he received award aft ...  full story

If you’d been watching the door to the Holiday Inn Express on March 31, you’d have seen many of our local business leaders, including yours truly, arriving. We wouldn’t have been in our usual workday garb, but in the grungiest clothing we owned.Durin ...  full story

Believe it or not, we are only one month away from the Flowertown Festival. Everyone in town seems to be making preparations to volunteer for the festival. I will volunteer my time at booths for the three organizations with which I am affiliated. I k ...  full story

    I, and some of my staff, had lunch with Dorchester Two Superintendent Joe Pye and Public Information Officer Pat Raynor recently. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Pye, he is a bundle of energy, full of v ...  full story

What makes children so resilient? I am truly amazed at their ability to accept things as they are and move beyond it. They don’t dwell in the moment. They don’t feel sorry for themselves. It is what it is.When my son was young, he suffered with aller ...  full story

PFC Bob Dunleavy, with whom I’ve been corresponding for the past eight months, came by shortly after his return from Iraq.Bob sent me an email from Iraq where he was stationed to see if The Journal Scene and the good people of Summerville would partn ...  full story

Harry’s in therapy. Okay, not exactly therapy, but in “animal behavior training expert” consultation.Harry, our beloved dog, has never been vicious, despite his large size and history of abuse. That changed the other night when my husband asked him t ...  full story

As I emerged from the house, my husband came running around the house and the only word I could understand was, “Bees.”That was an understatement, as he had not one or two bees, but a multitude of yellow jackets covering his legs and shorts.For those ...  full story

It could only happen to you… My husband has spoken these words to me many times over the lifetime of our marriage.Unfortunately, he’s right. I seem to get myself into some unusual situations.This time I was standing on a boat, in the middle of the Ca ...  full story

August 13, 2004 seemed like any other hot summer day for my in-laws living in Punta Gorda, Florida. That is until Hurricane Charley hit with wind gusts that topped 180 mph.Officially Charley was listed as a Category 4 hurricane.It was 3 am two days l ...  full story

I worry about my parents.I worry about their health. I worry about their wellbeing. I worry that they are warm and well fed and healthy.  At this age, I could claim that I worry about them more than they worry about me, but my mom is quite a wor ...  full story

It’s an amazing thing to see your children blossom into adults before your very eyes.I feel like my daughter’s life is on fast forward at times. She was a good student but she never particularly liked school.She saw it as a means to an end.She starte ...  full story

I am a terrible patient. I have no tolerance for being sick because in my world, I simply do not have time for such nonsense. This approach has not always served me well. It has caused me to hemorrhage after a biopsy, sending me to the emergency room ...  full story

As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day this month, I have reflected a lot recently on what his dream was, and whether we have achieved it. I believe he would be proud of the society, which we have become, but also believe that we have a ways to go ye ...  full story

My aunt passed away December 24th in Maine. I was unable to attend the funeral but was talking to my sister the day before, who was accompanying my dad to Maine. She told me that another aunt, my Aunt Wina, said the visitation would be at the funeral ...  full story

I know two things: 1. Men and women are different.2. Biologists are in their own league when it comes to different.I have learned the second one through many hard lessons.As a way of explanation, I offer the story of the Madagascar hissing cockroach. ...  full story

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