I had a dream about my mom this week. She was standing on the front porch of my parents’ former home and I was behind the screen of the front door looking at her. She was dressed up and looked beautiful. I told her I wanted to open the door to hug her but I was afraid she would disappear. She said, “No, I won’t.” So, I opened…
If you’ve ever had a friend you truly loved, who made you laugh until your face hurt, then lost her to demon cancer, you know you can’t let her life go without a last, well deserved, round of applause. I was lucky enough to meet Janet Reilly because our kids attended the same elementary school. I used to think I was funny, until I met Janet. She could…
I am not a dog person. I like dogs, but am not one of those people who’ll risk her life stopping in traffic to save a dog I don’t know. My friend, Carolyn will do that. God bless her, I admire her bravery, but that’s just not me. That’s why it took me a few margaritas to start on the long road toward loving a dog, I never…
We’ve all heard the saying, “Dance like no one is watching.” But I loved coming across this fuzzy photo of my mom doing her trademark Charleston step and seeing her in action. Mom was born in 1913, so coming of age in the Roaring Twenties, she must have loved a dance that had people flapping their arms, kicking up their heels and giving up stuffy, suffocating etiquette. My…
Some things are worth waiting for, like a perfect fall day, a job you love, and your turn to bask in the glory of winning the Annual Cutthroat Tunno Pumpkin Pie Competition! So, without further ado, I would like to proudly announce that the winner of this year’s competition goes to……………………………………………………………..…
I am one of the lucky ones. I get to have two of my three kids for Thanksgiving, and given the state of things today, that’s pretty great. I can’t wait for life to change for the better, but so far, 2020 has been inconvenient, but not tragic. Again, I know I’m lucky. I’ve had time to think, write, and figure out my next steps. I’m so very…
I started listening to a podcast last week called Dolly Parton’s America. My daughter was obsessed with it and knew I would love it. What she didn’t know was that I used to do a pretty mean imitation of Dolly before post nasal drip wreaked havoc on my vocal cords. I always liked Dolly, she was pretty, funny, and self deprecating. She was feminine, but not fragile –…
I am one of those annoying individuals who thinks a tree in my house at Christmas, just HAS to be a real pine tree. Trees have their way of seeking revenge against people like me though. I do it because I love the smell. As a child, I sat under the tree and played with the wise men, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, camels, angels, and sheep, while inhaling that…
I wish I could go back to childhood to see how much time (and my faulty memory) have altered what I think I recall clearly. My Fourth of July memories revolve around picnics at Brady’s Run Park, on slightly damp summer grass. The only food I remember is the Fourth of July birthday cake with tiny American flags on it because the Fourth was my mom’s birthday, and…
Since it’s the day before Thanksgiving, tying on an apron is what most suffering, red-blooded Americans will be doing. I'm one of the ones crazy enough to enjoy spending days in the kitchen.…