Writing

Colorful Cousin My sister and I made a day trip out of town to rendezvous with one of our first cousins. Actually, Mom had sent us on a mission to get discounted toiletries although the former math teacher in me questioned whether the savings held up, considering we traveled nearly four hours roundtrip. The gas … Continue reading »

All I wanted to do was take a picture of my sister’s car, which had been taking up prime real estate in the driveway. She’d had the For Sale sign on it for months, taken it down for a potential buyer, but then replaced it when that buyer fell through. The Stars of the Show … Continue reading »

A bout of being overly cerebral caused me to experience three strange dreams within a five-day period. During my waking hours, I pack as much productivity into my day as possible. If I focus on one thing to completion, I’d complete that one thing faster, but rarely does my schedule afford me the luxury of … Continue reading »

My parents’ 62nd anniversary fell on a Saturday, which meant we could have a celebration dinner during the day on the actual day. Like every other celebration since mid-April, we reserved the setting room down the hall from Dad’s rehab room, pushed the tables together and laid out the spread: fried chicken, pulled pork, hush … Continue reading »

As much as I love to relax on the weekends and fully enjoy my unstructured time, I volunteered nearly three hours to help someone I care about with the manifestation of a crisis that she’s been surviving for over 32 years. It all began when she birthed a special needs child. Not that her son’s … Continue reading »

For the 82nd continuous Strange family reunion, we celebrated our second freeborn generation. Our theme was “Back Down Memory Lane.” With help from extended family, I created a presentation with pictures, facts, and anecdotes about each honoree. The 12 Honorees https://1drv.ms/p/s!AgxqBwvGu4qmgRGU0E_u15k6anfd Click on the link above, then click on “Download.” Click on the downloaded powerpoint … Continue reading »

For the 82nd continuous Strange Family Reunion, I joined the planning committee and was voluntold that I would make a presentation about the twelve second generation freeborn Strange legacies of which my mother is one. Sounds easy enough…until I started working on it. To get the ball rolling, I designed an easy-to-use form, inviting extended … Continue reading »

On two different levels, I knew better. I did it anyway. Someone else stepped up onto the higher moral ground and corrected me, sharing a few of the economic reasons feminism started in the US, along with the fact that not all those women were married. To be fair, that discussion group acknowledged, yes, racism … Continue reading »

A much deserved vacation coincided with my niece’s joyous grad school graduation from her prestigious genetic counseling program. Although I only took a few days off, I felt refreshed rather than drained by the time I returned home. Barbershop Speakeasy On my first day of vacation, which was Friday morning, I took my time before … Continue reading »

My father, a nephew, a niece and a sister all have April birthdays. Following Dad’s lead, my sister believes in celebrating the entire month for her birthday. As a matter of fact, our paternal grandmother started celebrating her birthday twice a year. When she filed for social security, she saw her birth certificate and realized … Continue reading »