Lynn M. Dixon's Blog

October leaves fall all around,
Making little or just no sound.

Soon, to be raked in nice, neat piles,
Causing achy shoulders. No smiles.

Deepening colors thus appear,
Echoing that autumn is here.

As if a masterful paint brush,
Just stroked the beauty with no rush.

Harvest! Orange pumpkins dot the scene,
Causing observers to be keen!

Lynn M.
October 12, 2025

The other day, I was listening to Bebe Winan’s This Song. He talks about writing a song which was a love letter. Of course the music is smooth. He has that Midas Touch when It comes to both his songwriting and his delivery. This Song first came out in 1997, but we know that music it timeless.

There are so many types of love letters that one might receive from others. There are those from our romantic partners which are indeed special. Only a handful of people actually take the time to sit down and put pen to paper to express their feelings. Those letters are memorable, even if the actual letters have been lost over time. They are forever etched and imprinted the heart.

Then, I thought of a small piece of luggage that I lost while moving from location to another. It was filled with love letters from my students over a six-year period. Though they were not romantic in nature, they were grand expressions of gratitude, appreciation and adoration. They were all hand-written and they came from their hearts.

The agape love from my students and their parents have helped me rock steady when other parts of my life seemed to be unraveling from the seams. They served and still serve as a buffer and a glue to reassure me that my labor is not in vain. Simple strokes of appreciation truly make me continue to give it my best.

Love Letters. Whether agape love or romantic love, love is still love. It sustains.us. It soothes us and it makes us try even harder to make an honest difference. Children and young adults let it flow and rip freely when adults sometimes seem reluctant to give that nod of approval. But, that’s cool. It is what it is.

As I look at the little notes from pictures hanging on my fridge, I think of Bebe’s lyrics when he wrote, “No special reason. Just thought you should know.” Free expressions coming straight from the heart are a lift indeed!

Lynn M.
October 4, 2025

Whenever we lose someone close to us, we may feel shock, anger or even a sense of abandonment or any of the seven stages of grief. If the person had endured a long period of illness, we are relieved that they are no longer suffering, but we are stunned just the same.

When the fog evaporates and we can finally see clearly again, we may say softly, “Okay.” It happened.” But we are still in pain as we acknowledge that we have lost a dear one. We slowly move towards acceptance and we are no longer petrified nor immobilized by sorrow.

If we are lucky, we will have years to absorb it and wholeheartedly embrace the circumstances as we understand the cycle of life. People are born and people die. They pass away from sight though their words and actions stay imprinted upon our memories.

Over time, we learn that they are still closely hovering around like an angel. At the least expected moment, we may have a laugh-out-loud moment when we recall certain conversations that only the two shared. This is a reminder that they are still somewhere watching over us. Those are the gains.They are forever with us.

Every person with whom we had close ties, altered us in some way. Our lives are richer because we knew them. And, even after they pass on, they leave remnants of themselves embedded deep down in our souls. Kahlil Gibran’s two book titles say it all in either A Tear and A Smile or Tears and Laughter. Though the tears may flow, the smiles will surely come as we remember the good times.

There are many famous phrases about parting but I believe that the French proverb says it best. “Partir, c’est mourir un peu” (Parting is to die a little).

To my cousin, Nita.

Lynn M.
September 27, 2025

My sisters and I left Carver High School when the family moved to Chicago in the early 1960’s. The oldest sister graduated from Carver in Memphis and the other three of us went on to graduate from Hyde Park High in Chicago.  But my sisters held on to their contacts there and one just attended what could have been her 60th Class Reunion. She stayed in contact with the Memphis crew over the years.

So here, I look back at my one year at Carver Junior High where I spent one memorable year as a 7th grader.  For starters, I was in an all-girls homeroom for reasons unbeknownst to me. But homeroom only lasted for a few minutes each day, so it really did not make that much difference. Ms. Grandberry was our teacher and all I remember about her is that she was pleasant, had a couple of dimples and a great smile.

Then there was Mr. McClellan who taught Spelling. He was an animated teacher and to this day I am a decent speller and quite conscientious about my writing. He was up on the second floor along with Mr. Black who taught History.  I remember Mr. Black as being tall, astute and quite knowledgeable. Then there was Ms. Walton who taught Social Science.  I recall her reassuring us and calming our fears during The Cuban Missile Crisis.

There was Ms. Blackwell who was located at the far end of the second floor. She taught Art and I will never forget trying to replicate a scene using the one-point perspective theory. She truly left her mark on me because I have sketched over the years. 

And there was Ms. McDavid who baffled us all. Whenever she gave a test in, ( I believe it was Geography), she re-seated the class. Those with the highest scores sat in the first row, so if you were in row four over by the windows, anyone walking pass knew that you weren’t doing that good in her class. Whew!

And lastly there was our beloved principal, Mr. R. B. Thompson. He was small in stature, but he ruled with an iron fist. The rules were clear and if you did not play by the rules, all other students knew it. Those were the days when teachers could still paddle students if need be.  At any time, you may see the star quarterback or the Casanova-lover of the school bent over getting a few licks with the school paddle in front of their admiring fans or girlfriends. That was embarrassing enough for them to hopefully make better choices in the future.

I have very fond memories of my one year at Carver, though I was in junior high. The school building was rather new, and it housed 7th through 12th grades. We had a huge field in the back to play on for recess, and for baseball games. And the gym was our happy place where we sometimes had dances. They were called sock-ups because we could not wear street shoes on the gym floor, and we danced in our socks.

Yes, Carver where the school colors were red and white, and the mascot was and still is the almighty Cobra. That one fantastic year helped shape me and Carver definitely had a hand in who I am today!

Lynn M.
September 20, 2025

Ah, the calm of September! That is what I feel as the cool, gentle breezes envelop me when I sit close to the lake. The cicadas still sing loudly and remind me that summer is not quite over yet.  The trees are still full of leaves, although I had to clean a few fallen leaves off my car this morning.

That was a silent reminder that autumn is officially making its grand entrance very soon. The green trees will soon be arrayed in rich colors before they shake off their arborous beauty. Of course, the wind will do its part and blow the leaves all around causing those rakes and leaf-blowers to come out and help clean up the mess.

September, my birth month along with four other immediate family members, shows up every year to help put us all in check. It is the season for cooling minds, deep breathing, calming down and getting things in order.

Phrases like back-to-basics, reality check and resetting all come to mind when I think of September. The travel luggage must be unpacked, and the summer photos should be safely filed away. The summer gear must go back into its normal spot. Summer is truly in our rear-view mirrors.

It is time to pull out the sweaters, cardigans and light jackets. And it is time to dust off the planners and make certain that the alarm clock is working and the watches have new batteries. It is the month to settle down, buckle up, get in tune with the order of the universe. The days will be getting shorter, and the cicadas will soon retreat underground. This signals us to pull out a few trusty affirmations such as I can, I will, I must or just do it. Then, we can move forward with a certain peace in every step!

Lynn M.
September 13, 2025

As we get ready to say goodbye to this wonderful summer, I must say that I welcome the incoming fall season. It reminds us that it is time to get back-to basics. Children return to the classroom and the trees will soon change the colors of its leaves. Autumn makes me think of order and calm and it reminds me that the earth is still rotating on its axis, Mother Nature is taking care of things.

Personally, my two favorite seasons are fall and spring.They are generally neither too hot nor too cold. Like in the story of TheThree Little Bears, the porridge was ‘just right’. Both seasons are mild, cool and refreshing in so many ways. 

The other day, we were having a discussion in a classroom about various places and their temperatures. We recalled that all places do not have all four seasons. Some places have never seen snow or if they have, it was a very rare occurrence. But here, in the Midwest of the USA, we enjoy the fullness of fall, winter, spring and summer.

When I lived in places that did not get all four seasons, I felt as if something was missing. I kept waiting for Mother Nature to softly remind me that it was time to change the wardrobe or prepare in some way for the upcoming frigid temps. But while living in the sunny south, it did not happen. Once I visited Houston during the Christmas holiday, it was 80 degrees on Christmas Day. Everyone was wearing shorts!

Being a Midwestern at heart, I silently cherish all four seasons. It is a quiet reminder that we are constantly changing and evolving as we keep in step with nature’s plan. We can now take a few deep breaths and give thanks that we survived this past summer. We can slow down and enjoy the calm breezes that clear the cobwebs from our minds. While moving at a slower pace, we will soon pull out those sweaters and light jackets.

And the truly wise will begin to stock up those cupboards, pantries and shelves during this autumn season. We never know exactly how fierce Old Man Winter’s roar will be, but we know he is certainly coming. In the meantime, we can savor a few aha moments as we walk on our tippy toes, adjust our circadian clocks and enjoy the magical gifts of this season!

Lynn M.
August 31, 2025

Reading, writing and mathin’ to pay bills,
While always scouting for the best deals.

Cicadas loudly sing evening song.
Making us forget all that went wrong.

Summer is winding down to a halt,
That last minute fun must now be sought.

Those back-to-school items will be bought,
So children can hear what’s being taught.

Warm summer breezes soon turn to fall,
Leaving behind great days had by all!

Lynn M.
August 16, 2025

I had some much needed laughs today as I saw Freakier Friday at the theater. I knew that if Jamie Lee Curtis (Tess Coleman) was in it, I was assured of having some good laughs. She did not disappoint and Lindsey Lohan can also be trusted to give a good performance. They along with some new rising stars dotted the LA scene in this sequel to Freaky Friday.

There were only a few of us in the cinema, but there were several laugh-out-loud moments as the script played on the big screen. Lindsey Lohan (Anna Coleman) has a teen daughter, Harper (Julia Butters) in high school and she despises the new Londoner, Lily (Sophia Hammons) who flaunts her distinctive accent and fashion flair.

To the teens horror, their parents meet, fall in love and begin to plan their wedding. Lily’s father, Eric (Manny Jacinto) intends  to relocate the family back to London. Then the girls set out to sabotage the wedding until a fortune-teller (Vanessa Bayer) reads the palms of all four women. She makes them repeat a phrase that in essence said that ‘until they understood the path of the other, things would remain crossed and intertwined.’

Then, it happens.The mother and daughter switch places with the two teen girls after an earth- shaking moment. It is a bit confusing because this time around, there are four people involved in the body switches, but the hilarity begins. Of course Lily, who becomes Tess cannot believe the setbacks of aging and the things that have happened to her body.

Without giving too much more away, we get to see Los Angeles from different levels. We see the highways as Jamie Lee Curtis drives crazily in a sports car;, we see actual surfing up close and personally, along with a bit of night life during a concert and we see Eric’s high-end restaurant to name a few.

It was a great way to forget the woes of the world for a couple of hours and well worth the trip. The big screen can never  truly be  replaced. It was so good to see Lindsey Lohan in good spirits, as well as seeing a few cameos from those Lindsey Lohan movies such as Elaine Hendrix. But ,Jamie Lee Curtis stole the show regardless of which character she played. Hands down!

Lynn M.
August 9, 2025

During this summer, I have traveled through books, vlogs and audibles. Yes, reading, viewing and listening have brought many new and exciting thoughts, reflections and wonderings. Who said staycations can’t be wonderful?

In Sue Moorcroft’s Over the Sea to Skye, Valentina leaves London for a summer stay at her cottage on the Isle of Skye. She travels through Inverness on a train and meets Xander, an American traveling with his nephew. She has her son in tow and the two boys hit it off and the two adults later bond after a series of events take place.

I read quite a few of those boy-meets-girl books or shall I say girl-meets-boy because the main characters were women. Anyway, I paused at intervals and looked up vlogs or travel videos on YouTube to places such as Inverness, which was mentioned often and to the Isle of Skye itself.  I could then get a better feeling of where the characters were located.

So, my visit to Scotland, better prepared for another read, Kilts & Kisses at Highland Hall by Hannah Lynn. Bex, a character from a former series, is asked to leave her London job and go to the Scottish Highlands for an accounting job. She drives there and discovers that her assignment is in an old castle. And as fate would have it, sparks fly between her and the groundskeeper, Duncan. The book ends with me wondering if she will ever return to London.

I read other titles such as The Butterfly Garden by Rachel Burton, Striving by K.A. Mulenga and The Horse Dancer by Jojo Moyes, But in Caribbean Crush by R.S. Grey, Casey, a travel writer, is on a maiden voyage of a new cruise ship, and she needs an interview with the ship designer to steady her career. He, unfortunately, remembers her from middle school and has not forgotten her pranks that cost him a trophy. Thus, he refuses to give her the time of day. She flashes her feminine charms and let’s just say that things get steamy-like hotter than July! I could truly get a sense of her swank cruise suite housed close to the other writers and certainly the island ports where they stopped, ate and shopped during their time on the waters.

And quite majestically, I listened to my first Audible this summer. Lally Brown my writer-friend on X (Twitter) told me that she had put a few of her books on Audible. I had read her books some time back but ventured into these new waters with her by first purchasing and listening to High and Dry in the BVI (British Virgin Islands) 1970-1972.  She and her husband, a British engineer, went to Tortola for a project and there were many exciting moments during their stay. As I listened, it added a new dimension to the experience as I tallied along. So vivid!

They later returned to the island when her husband received a new assignment but this time they had two small children, Peaches, and Jellybean (JB) with them. In Treefrogs Can’t Sing: BVI 1978-1981, the adventures are endless and as I followed the reader’s melodious voice, some of it came back to me. Other things seemed totally new. So yes, perhaps the postman does ring twice!

Wonderful, creative books, chosen travel vlogs and newly released audibles highly enriched this summer. And thank goodness there are a few weeks of summer left as I see what other magical things flow my way!

Lynn M.
August 2, 2025

July, July almost gone away,
But summer days still have their say.

Hot temps, humidity rage right on,
Those loud cicadas still sing their song.

Various water sports keep some cool,
While others sip cold drinks by the pool.

Most getting out to soak up the sun,
Relishing each bit of summer fun!

Lynn M.
July 19, 2025