What is this torture I inflict upon myself every few days, and why do I persist in doing it? I’m transported all the way back into my childhood. In my mind’s eye, I see my mother scrubbing, scouring, running the vacuum while singing endless hymns, stretching the melodies out until the end of the task. … Read more
I have a question for those of you who share a bed. Cats and dogs need not respond – I know you love them but there are limits to their abilities. Can the two of you make the bed together without starting an altercation? My own bed sharer is a perfectionist. He has been known … Read more
We all find ourselves meeting the challenge of this long, cold, dark month. Here’s a suggestion to take some of the chill out of January with the warmer side of the color wheel. I’m talking here about red, yellow and orange. How can these colors help us to “weather” (no pun intended) the next 21 … Read more
Has the Virus stolen my library from me? No! I find that I can go in by appointment, thanks to those dear librarians. So what is it about the library that excites me? Walking in, masked and sanitized, I feel as though I’m in the Longhorn with a 3-dessert sampler in front of me, my … Read more
The neverending question. It’s intriguing to remember the narrow options with which I grew up. Comparing notes with friends in my age bracket, I’m impressed with the similarities. Meatloaf. Fried chicken. Vegetable beef soup. Tuna casserole. Some concoction called goulash in my hometown out West, hot dish in Minnesota, and American Chop Suey here in … Read more
Does anyone remember that old riddle? If so, you probably remember the answer – “a frog in a blender”. A nauseating mental image of a homogenous mixture landing somewhere between brown and gray. A picture for the many conversations between old friends that have landed in the metaphorical toilet in the past few years. Clashing … Read more
A dear friend who knows me all too well just sent me a book to read. The author delves into our pervasive obsession with digital input, even to the point of addiction. I complain about teenagers on their phones, and then I take a long, hard look at myself and discover the same issues. Texting, … Read more
How often have you heard these twin words in the last week?“Oh, that’s amazing!” The speaker might be referring to things as discrepant as the ocean, a baby’s first giggle, a chicken quesadilla, or a deep philosophical insight. How trite and tiresome it sounds. It’s like that old brown sweater, thin and worn to transparency, … Read more
So I’m off to purchase a new pocketbook. This is serious business for a woman in my age bracket . I’ve noticed that I am now incapable of leaving the house without my pocketbook in tow. I’ve tried. A small handbag droops sadly on a doorknob; it can’t compete with this lovely but aging monster … Read more
There’s something about jazzIt meanders without boundariesIt reaches for the unattainable Obsessed with romanceSong lyrics seize the heart Stairway to the StarsEmbraceable YouMy One and Only Love Hopeful love, lost love, impermanent loveBut always love Delicate and unhindered, the piano wandersPrecise, the bass notes weave in and outPiercing, the guitar punctuates the melody Why this obsession with love, romantic love?Why … Read more