Can you imagine the overwhelming number of photos that today’s twenty-somethings will be able to show their kids in thirty years? I grew up hearing Mom and Dad say, “I remember that picture; where did you find it?” I would listen to their descriptions. They recalled the event because someone else took the photo, and…
I wanted coffee, and while I don’t take sugar, she was sweet. Our exchange, while brief, smacked of a moment in time that wouldn’t have come to mind for any other reason. Most often, I hear phrases that cast a negative shadow over the prospect of the morning, early rising, and the slog that can…
Bright sunny skies, warm breezes, and smiles were on tap for Monday’s Happy Hour at Chez Ellie. I shut down all the heat sources in the house, opened windows, and swiped right on the sliding window on the screen door that leads to the back deck, saying a hearty yes to cross ventilation. We only…
My dad told me a few stories about trudging to school. That’s what dads born before 1945 tended to do. He told me a few times he wore sneakers year-round through the western Maine winters. He explained he had to wear thicker socks in cold weather. Any kid worth his salt on the baseball diamond…
It’s a big day. We are going to pick up groceries at two p.m. Some poor kid will wheel them to my truck in the face of frigid wind and stuff the bags in the back. It came to light that I should be quiet about how much I disliked grocery shopping when my server…
My new nest, next door in an empty apartment bedroom, is taking some time to get used to. The Significant One was here last week when I set it up. But I left it for a time to season. She’s back, taking meetings in the dining room, not too far from my most common seat…
It’s thrice fallen out of the freezer, regularly rebounding reminders that I’d better eat it. I keep at least one frozen pizza—just in case— at all times. But I only remember because my poorly packed icebox allows it to slide out, crashing to the floor regularly. I slip up occasionally and refer to the freezer…
Summer came, but somebody watered down a bit. I hope no one believes that I am complaining about the endless rain. The older you get, the more you appreciate it. When the sun broke through for a few minutes on the Fourth, and I felt the humidity rise, I concluded that all that rain hadn’t…
She was walking purposefully, and I could see her coming from about an eighth mile away. She appeared to be about my age, but I am only basing that on the silver streaks in her short hair; it reflected the early morning sunshine enough to conclude that hers was the same color as mine, but…
One cannot argue that the state of the planet is in disarray. No matter where you get your news, it’s clear that something went wrong along the way. Over the last few months, it’s been worse. How can that be? We can’t blame it all on the pandemic, politics, or improper interpersonal communication. We can…