December 18th again? Already???
Lorena
CW for death of loved ones and the stress of grief at the holiday season. Storytime! I’ll try not to make this unreadably long. (Cue Morgan Freeman voice: “she did…
dad
The one about a triple-header funeral
How do you inter your loved ones when you don’t have a family cemetery, strong ties to a particular religion, you don’t have children who might want a gravesite to…
A Long December
Today would have been my dad’s 77th birthday. He died two weeks after his 60th. It used to be, growing up, Bill’s birthday, then a week later my dad’s birthday,…
The Practicality of Preparing
The last few months, I’ve been helping my aunt and uncle decide what to do with their manuscripts, correspondence, papers, and library. They’re not planning on leaving the party any…
When you want to punch a holiday in the throat
Dear Goddamn Diary; I don’t know why this year in particular – what makes this year any different than the last sixteen – but I’m having a hard time with…
Ghost
I love a good ghost story, especially haunted houses. But do I believe in ghosts? Hmm. Well, I’d have to believe in an afterlife in order to believe in ghosts,…
Ruminations on Self-Employment: Staying Upbeat… or, not.
One of my old Regional Managers, back when I worked at a Big Box Bookstore, used to say that “energy comes from the top.” Meaning, the cashiers aren’t going to…
Hello, evening
A lot of my evenings since the birthday party have looked like this. Pajamas, knitting, a little drinkie, and (until I ate them all) a cupcake. Mmmmmm. I should have…
Dad’s old train set
Dusty, and could use some touching up, but still just as loved (by me) as when my dad opened it for Christmas some time in the early 1940s. I also…
Thank you, Aunt Gay and Uncle Joe!
Aunt Gay and Uncle Joe surprised me with some tickets to see Michael Smith last night, a singer/songwriter out of Chicago, whose music I was introduced to (unknowingly) as a…
Five phrases I’ve taken to heart
There is nothing neither good nor bad but thinking makes it so. Shakespeare, from Hamlet. I think that’s true. A lot of what happens around, to, or because of us…