Words from the Heart

Front door of a B and B in Ireland (c) 2014 Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas What a surprise to have the random word picker give me the word "visit" for my 2020 word of the year just after I was thinking of our trip to Ireland back in 2014 and our dear friends who live there! Visit is something I enjoy doing. However, I have never really looked at the word - its meaning or origin. After all, it is one of those words that we use daily without thinking much about, right? First off, visit can be used as both a noun and a verb.  As a noun, it means: the act of visiting, or having a chat or talk.  As a verb, visit means: to go to and stay with (a person or family) or at (a place) for a short time for reasons of sociability, politeness, business, curiosity, etc.; to stay with as a guest; to make a visit; to talk or chat casually. The origins of the word are from the Latin " visitare " which means "to go to see."   As a teacher, minister and wri

Barbara Barth's memoir is by far one of the most fun reads I have had in a long time.  T he Unfaithful Widow Ten Years Later is a compilation of stories about the resilience, the confusion, the fear and the enjoyment of Barth's life.  Woven throughout the memoir are glimpses of her great love for dogs, her life as a writer/antique dealer and her sometimes questioning belief in serendipity. I really enjoyed how Barbara laughs at herself, sees her own foibles and quickly points out the talents and gifts of other people. A dog lover, myself, I fell in love with the four-legged family of this book. When I got to the last chapter, I felt like my new best friend had just moved across the ocean.  I wanted to know more about this gregarious woman and her dogs.  I highly recommend this book for everyone who believes the fun really starts after the first century of life. My thanks to Barbara for sharing her life in such an open and enjoyable memoir.    Barbara Barth is an a