Author: Susan A. Royal
The Cardinal
First thing every morning, I go for a cup of coffee. Then I open the blinds next to my computer. Today, I was greeted by a cardinal in my birdfeeder. You know what they say about cardinals, don’t you? That they appear when angels are near and represent loved ones who have passed away. They are messengers from Heaven who deliver words of love and comfort during difficult times. I always think of my husband when I see them. It’s been nearly eight years since he died, and I still miss him every day, but I can smile when I see a cardinal because it makes me feel like he’s near.
Good Advice
“I picked some flowers for you, Granny!”
My four-year-old grandson burst through the front door the other day with a big smile on his face and a handful of flowers from the field in front of my house. I’ve gotten some beautiful flowers over the years, but none of them can compare to the ones handpicked for me by my children and my grandchildren.
~Into the Unknown~
In memory of Daylon Jones Royal, born February 15, 1945.
…This is something I posted a few years ago…
While channel surfing a while back, I happened to catch the end of Close Encounters. Never see that movie that I don’t think of my husband. Especially now that he’s gone. It was one of his all-time favorites. I never really thought about it until today, but now I understand why.
In the movie Richard Dreyfuss plays Roy Neary, an average middle-class guy who loves his family and works hard to provide for them. Only there’s another side to his character. He still believes in magic. In the movie, when Roy experiences a close encounter, he doubts his sanity. But he can’t let it go, because deep down inside he wants it to be true. So he makes up his mind to prove it.
My husband was the same kind of man. He worked hard, took care of his family…
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~Into the Unknown~
/ SUSAN A. ROYAL / EDIT
Daylon Jones Royal February 15, 1945 – October 20, 2015
While channel surfing a while back, I happened to catch the end of Close Encounters. Never see that movie that I don’t think of my husband. Especially now that he’s gone. It was one of his all-time favorites. I never really thought about it until today, but now I understand why.
In the movie, Richard Dreyfuss plays Roy Neary, an average middle-class guy who loves his family and works hard to provide for them. Only there’s another side to his character. He still believes in magic. In the movie, when Roy experiences a close encounter, he doubts his sanity. But he can’t let it go, because deep down inside he wants it to be true. So he makes up his mind to prove it.
My husband was the same kind of man. He worked hard, took care of his family and lived a quiet life. But like Roy, there was more to him than met the eye. The casual observer never saw his keen sense of adventure. He had a fascination for the mysterious, the unexplained. The idea of travelers from another world was intriguing to him.
He would have loved the chance to do what Roy did. So it isn’t hard to visualize him standing on the runway at the end of the movie, all smiles. Reluctant to leave his life on earth, yet filled with nervous anticipation at the thought of going on an adventure beyond the stars.
I like to think that’s exactly what he’s doing right now. And I’m certain he’s enjoying every minute.
And someday, I’ll join him.
Writing Magic in a Real-World Setting – By Liz Keller Whitehurst…
My Friends
It’s January 2022. The beginning of another year. Time to put 2021 away and make plans for the months ahead. A time for self-reflection. One filled with regrets for the things I didn’t accomplish in the past year and renewed determination to finish them this time around.
I spend a lot of time at home during the winter months for all the obvious reasons. It can be confining at times. Even depressing. But I have people close to my heart who keep tabs on me. And daily visitors who never fail to give me a lift.
Birds show up at the birdfeeder outside my window every morning. I watch from my desk while they eat, occasionally squabbling over the birdseed or staring at me indignantly when it’s run out. Their presence reminds me of the beautiful world I live in.
9/11/01
Twenty years ago today, we watched this terrible thing happen. For a while we all came together. We helped each other grieve and pick up the pieces and worked to make things better.
Let’s be that country again.
LONGHORNS IN EAST TEXAS
Before I moved to this part of the state, I never realized there were longhorn cattle here. I always assumed they were in the western part of the state. I found out otherwise.
This is Blaine. She’s one enterprising teenager. She will be 17 in October, a homeschooled Junior in the fall and is currently attending PENN Foster in the Veterinary Tech program.
She is the current International Texas Longhorn Princess and the Winnsboro 4H President
She works at Pittsburg Vet Clinic and owns Circle B Longhorns and Longhorn Legado. She raises longhorn cattle and markets the beef. I’ve tried it. It’s great. Tastes like hamburger meat used to taste before they started adding all the fillers. Check out her Facebook page: Circle B Longhorns.
Susan A. Royal 