Another version of me has dirt under her fingernails Photo: Geri Lavrov/Photographer’s Choice/Getty Images PlusIf another me exists in another universe, I picture her clad in a red gingham dress or blue denim overalls. She toils on a farm surrounded by corn and cows. This is the life I might have lived, had I followed the … Continue reading Meet Me at the Vanishing Point
Author: mstturpin
Writer in Plano, Texas trying to get the words out of her head and onto the page.
A Bird in the Basket
Photo by Alvaro Daimiel on Unsplash I hadn’t planned on sharing the 650 square feet of space I called home. Andrew and I had reached the point in our dating life where he kept a spare toothbrush at my place and I had cleared out a shelf in my closet for him. I could barely fit … Continue reading A Bird in the Basket
Goodbye Old Friend
My new car is a spaceship. The dash has more buttons and dials than Doc’s DeLorean did in Back to the Future. It runs on premium gas, though, and not recycled garbage. My brand-new Honda Civic Sport Touring might be the last car I ever buy. “What are you going to name your new car?” Andrew … Continue reading Goodbye Old Friend
Whistle Britches
Andrew and I were wandering through the clearance section in men’s clothing at Macy’s when we spotted them. A row of corduroy pants in vivid orange and royal blue. “No one wants the whistle britches,” Andrew commented. “Do you think they have my size?” I asked. I love a bargain. “Please, no.” Andrew does not … Continue reading Whistle Britches
The Enchanted Rock and the Little Hill
Image by GeorgeB2 from Pixabay “We should visit Enchanted Rock,” Andrew suggested one evening, not long after we started dating. I pictured a place shrouded in a sparkling mist and peopled with tiny fairies peeking from behind evergreens. I worried whether the rock, enchanted or not, would provide shade. I’m a great fan of shade, especially … Continue reading The Enchanted Rock and the Little Hill
Lemur Island is a Lonely Island
But It’s a Lovely Place to Visit Photo by Amy Reed on Unsplash We arrived at the zoo in a car loaded with boxes of books and mismatched towels, two tennis rackets, and some stereo equipment. I’d been lured into the trip by Andrew, my boyfriend back then. I love the opportunity to view any animal … Continue reading Lemur Island is a Lonely Island
Love and Frozen Peas
Antique Shop Display — Photo by Terrye Turpin The truest test of whether someone will stick by you ‘in sickness and in health’ comes from the ordinary ills — the soggy discomfort of the common cold or the excess body fluids that accompany the flu. You’d have to be a complete troll to abandon the loved one who had cancer … Continue reading Love and Frozen Peas
Perspectives on Texas Towns
Antiques Shop Window Display in Downtown Wichita Falls, Texas Street Photography Challenge My husband and I love to travel on the weekends to visit the small towns near our home. Each place has a unique character that reminds me of the diversity within our state. Downtown Wichita Falls, Texas is experiencing a revival of sorts with … Continue reading Perspectives on Texas Towns
Road Trip Through Texas
Street scene in Waxahachie, Texas — Photo by Terrye Turpin Street Photography Challenge My husband and I live near Dallas, Texas and we are fortunate to have many interesting small towns within driving distance for weekend jaunts. We browse through antique stores and thrift shops and I always bring my camera along, looking for inspiration and hoping for … Continue reading Road Trip Through Texas
A Pivot Toward Acceptance
Photo by Terrye Turpin In 1980, after my sophomore year in college at Texas Woman’s University, I waited for the letter that would lead to a pivot point in my life. Some months before, I had applied through the Baptist Student Union to be a summer missionary. I signed up, not out of deep religious conviction … Continue reading A Pivot Toward Acceptance
