Revisiting Liberty Blue

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / June 9, 2026 /

I’m so excited about America’s Semiquincentennial that I thought I’d revisit a popular old story. (And BTW, I spelled that without looking it up! I’ve had practice — I’ll explain at the bottom of this post). Of all the tear-jerking, laugh-aloud, and deeply personal stories I’ve shared over the years, there’s one that everyone always…

If you woke up in the 70’s . . .

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / June 4, 2026 /

“I’d turn on the radio – we had the best music ever!” This was the response from someone on social media when asked, “If you woke up in the 70’s, what’s the first thing you would do?”  Yes, I’m sure many of you reading this weren’t around for the 70’s, and although the 80’s were…

Remember for Me

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / May 7, 2026 /

I always dread talking to the phone company because the frustrating series of robot voices and the stream of “push 1,” “push 2,” and “push 1 again” is maddening—not to mention the operators I can barely understand. But I was surprised today by the phone company (or was it God?), who connected me to the…

New book soon!

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / April 27, 2026 /

(But not soon enough) It’s a well known fact that babies arrive faster than books. Also, trans-atlantic barges, molasses in January, watched pots and Christmas morning are all faster than a book publishing project. So that’s where I’ve been lately. Working on a new book! But this time, it’s a children’s book, and it’s far…

Apollo 11 stepping out in faith

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / April 7, 2026 /

From the book, Exploding Hushpuppies Still preschool age and not fully able to understand the implications of seeing a man walk on the moon, I remember more about the overjoyed adults in the room than the actual lunar event. My parents, only in their late 20s, and my uncle, who was visiting, gathered around our…

The attack of the thoughtless leprechaun

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / March 17, 2026 /

Feiciano was a college student from Florida A&M University who was one of the full-time aides in my public school Pre-K classroom. At the time, I thought he was a very grown up adult, but now that I’m the mom of young men that same age, I see what a fun-loving big kid he was.…

Host a Party, Save the World

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / March 16, 2026 /

This is a story I wrote this past winter, but never got around to posting here on my site – if you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ll read about my current project (or at least a hint of it) and all that is swirling in my world. Drop me a note and let me know…

What a year – so far!

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / February 11, 2026 /

Whoo Boy! 2026 has been a difficult year, and it’s only the beginning of February. I haven’t written much due to caregiving for loved ones and attending funerals. What a way to start the year! I spoke to about 80 Snowbirds in Gulf Shores, AL, who were visiting the area for our “warm” winters. It was…

A Perfectly Timed Love

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / January 25, 2026 /

It isn’t a lack of words that makes this story difficult to tell. Instead, it’s because there is so much to tell, it’s hard to know where to begin. Karl and Erika Pellinat’s love story is an example of God’s beautiful timing, and yet it began with the horrors of war.  Captured by the Russian…

Quitting in the New Year

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / January 7, 2026 /

A friend recently asked several women to contribute a few words of wisdom to a book she’s creating for her teenage daughter’s birthday. Isn’t that a wonderful idea? She’s one of the best mothers I know. I was honored to be included, and thought about what I wish someone had told me at that age,…