Stories & Blogs
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 31, 2025
A LIFETIME OF MUSIC SHAPING and HELPING US GROW UP Music of my growing up years came to me through the social injustice, national protests, marches and all led by the televised forever images, sounds, and words of Pete Seeger, Odetta, Peter, Paul, & Mary, and Joan Baez. The home and car radio were always…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 24, 2025
CROSSES AND CRIFIXICS OF FAITH I received my first cross from a graduating seminary friend in 1969. Beth added her own crosses as we married and purchased our first home. Through travel, art fairs and conferences we have added diverse crosses of wood, metal, New Mexico mortar and wire. Crosses and crucifixes are worn as…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 17, 2025
ARE INSPIRING PERSONS AND CAUSES STILL IMPORTANT TO TOU, YOUR FAMILY, OUR COUNTRY? The ongoing daily news/events of local, national and the wider world can drain energy or a sense of wonder for a better tomorrow. For all of that to not be my only reality, I choose to filter and search for the balancing…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 10, 2025
WAYS YOU CAN AND WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH OTHERS, AND PERHAPS THE WIDER WORLD My world, your world, is a fast-moving, ever-changing collection of stories, decisions, and events. And yet, many of us want to find an edge or small ways we can and will improve living or working conditions of other persons, animals,…
Roy’s Sunday Letter fot August 3, 2025
One of Fifty Two It has been a long time since I have written something with a due date. I usually dreaded writing assignment as a student and would often wait till the last minute to complete the assignment. This opportunity has taken me on an adventure, and it all began with our dog, Jazz….
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 27, 2025
BODY MIND & SOUL The personal and professional training I received placed an emphasis on strengthening the connection between the body – mind -soul. Each one of us has positive individual characteristics. It is when we have a lifestyle of all three, balanced and coordinated, we are at our most healthy and well selves. And…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 20, 2025
FINDING OUR BEST, MOST ENJOYABLE WAY Beth and I had a delightful day trip to Granbury with our dear friend Elizabeth (101 years young). We had not been to Granbury in 35+ years. We found the small shops around the courthouse square flourishing and representing the culture of Granbury in the best of ways. We…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 13, 2025
HEALING STORIES IN TROUBLED TIMES Recently PBS and local KERA filmed an Arts & Culture series by bringing together Santa Fe high school students, from area schools. Each were asked to write about themselves or a news topic. The students then shared their writing with another student. These Santa Fe students took the risk of…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 6, 2025
SMALL PATCHES BECOME A QUILT Beth and I recently experienced something wonderful, exciting, and yes, even inspirational. Eight of “We” mid-age, elder age individuals who gathered weekly to meditate, were joined by forty middle and high school Black teen girls who were at the church for a day camp. Diane talked with the girls about…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for June 29, 2025
READER SUGGTSIONS OF TOPICS AND AREAS OF INTEREST Last week, I asked readers of the Sunday Letter to suggest topics and areas of interest. I received wonderful suggestions and challenges to include in this week’s Sunday Letter. Jerry E. and Marcia would like to know what books, magazines, or podcasts you read or listened to…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for June 4, 2023
** Saturday, I joined others around Texas and across the US by wearing Orange, as our way of standing against gun violence and harm to innocents. There were speakers, panels, storytelling, and education, and, of course, Tshirts. Across town there was the monthly Gun Show with over-flow lines and parking. ** Interview with researcher/author of…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 28, 2023
** Thursday marked 365 days since the gun deaths of 19 students & 2 faculty in Uvalde, south Texas. My Texas Legislature turned away from the pain, the challenge, of leadership, of courage, to take common ground steps to make schools safe. Dallas ISD has distributed “Stay Safe,” a Winnie-The-Pooh book teaching 5-year-olds to “run,…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 21, 2023
** A Santa Fe writer friend linked me to “836 Valencia.” This San Francisco nonprofit began the unique mission of teaching children and teens how to write their story. This program strives to improve reading and comprehension as an integral part of learning. The empowerment of writing is now in multiple sites in San Franciso…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 14, 2023
** Wendy’s is testing an “AI Chatbots” for drive-thru. The chatbot will be able take your order and answer questions. Wendy’s says Covid, economic changes, and staff shortages are the reasons. Wendy’s drive thru now provides 80% of all their food orders. Gear up people, the times are indeed changing. ** I use Mailer Lite…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 7, 2023
** Beth and I now have our 6th Covid vaccination. Our pharmacist hopes next year the Covid and flu shot will be combined, making protection easier for us and pharmacist as well. ** St. Andrews Episcopal in Amarillo (our home church) was vandalized Wednesday night. Broken people breaking sacred peace and damaging the interior. The…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 23, 2023
** We all know the value and contribution of “Assistance Dogs” that they provide to individuals with physical and emotional needs, disaster search/rescue, victims of crime and really anything they can do for their humans. Something new to me…one of the long-term care facilities here, in Fort Worth has an “Assistance Bunny.” Hallway to hallway,…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 16, 2023
** Anne Lamott writes in Traveling Mercies, “I was raised by parents to believe that you had a moral obligation to try to save the world.” The Sunday Question: What message, if any, did your parent/s give to you? If not parent/s, who taught you to believe, and what was it you were to believe,…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for March 12, 2023
** Anyone who lives in an urban area can be approached by a panhandler at an intersection. Arlington, TX has taken a unique approach to signage at these same intersections. “It’s OK to say no to panhandlers.” ** Imagine connecting with a friend not seen or known about since 1965. (And yes, I realize there…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for March 5, 2023
** News Movement is a new, developing online news service for young people. The average age of their reporters is 25. News sources include Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. Traditional 5:30 pm network news ads have aged into dentures, and medications. ** National and state news this week was more about who to exclude,…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for February 26, 2023
** Beth and I replaced our 10 yr. old IPhone 7’s with IPhone 12’s. The technology changes are a challenge for me, the slower “to get it” of the two. ** From President Jimmy Carter, age 98: “America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, human rights invented America. “ ** Following…