The song came on in just the nick of time. And I’m not saying it saved the day, but it was a welcome respite from the internalized self-doubt that overwhelms all of us from time to time. No, I don’t want a diagnosis, pity, or a phone call. There is no need to send me…
The conversation interrupted the latest from Durand Jones & The Indications. I didn’t say it out loud, but I silently hoped that the verbal volley would be worth turning down the volume knob jutting from the dash of the Ford. I like a conversation, but sometimes I like music better. I only get so many…
I like to think of myself as an individual who notices the little details that make up the bigger picture. I don’t claim to have been the best detective, but, in hindsight, I was pretty good. I wasn’t a collector of physical evidence. I was more of a mouthpiece. A conversationalist. An interviewer. I did…
Fall will be our focus for the foreseeable future. With so much to do, the season sneaks up on us disguised as a summer afternoon that lulls us into believing that cool nights and warm days could last forever. Gangs of tomatoes cling to the vines as if they paid a bit extra to be…
I grabbed the two empty water jugs and trudged through the path lined by beech, hemlock, and pine. The grass between the tree roots and rocks swished against my boots and jeans, and I stopped whistling Earth Wind and Fire’s “September” for a few moments. After being absent for most of the summer, the red…
The writing comes hard on a week like this. To update you all, my dad had a valve replacement in Boston, and it took me away from my scheduled daily musings. It was a successful event, and he is doing well. Thanks for all the notes. This isn’t an apology, only an explanation about why…
A post-workday shopping excursion in the middle of the 2021 back-to-school buyer binge was dumb, but I was dumber. The thing is, I could have ordered the necessities from an online source, but I’m about to make a trip out of state with my pop, and I needed a couple of things sooner than even…
The current situation in the blogosphere is hazy with the chance of random thoughts, possibly a shower before I go to bed. I haven’t seen all my sisters—in the same space—for a ridiculous amount of time. I think it was for my parent’s sixtieth anniversary. This week, we all celebrated their 64th. Two of my…
The first thing I noticed was the pleasantly acrid odor of overcooked hot dogs being seared beyond hope by an open flame. With only the smell to jog my memory, I could almost taste the carbonized skin of many hot dogs past. I was suddenly envious that someone was enjoying a campfire, but more so…
While I don’t want this blog to turn into a sounding board for outhouse discussions only, last week was flush with various non-potable moments. I enjoyed so many of the comments from all over the globe, and many of you shared your own outhouse memories. It seems a high percentage of the readers have had…