I saw this guy at a book signing of one of my favorite authors. I first spotted him schmoozing with the author before it started, motorcycle helmet in hand. Points for that. I later looked up from my seat in the audience and saw him sitting in the row in front… Read full post »

Every year at this time I send a message to people that I love on the occasion of my mother’s birthday. For those who don’t already know, a little background. My mom’s 73^rd birthday would have been today, November 9. In 1981, just before she turned 43 and I turned 18, she/… Read full post »

Remember that whole thing about the costume? Well, here she is, in the costume I made for her. :) Read full post »

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Not the color, the artist. Or, perhaps I should say, the rock star. My nine-year-old daughter’s current favorite song is Pink’s “So What?” in which Pink lashes out at her ex-husband by bragging about her rock star status. Vigorously and with lots of screaming guitar. The whol… Read full post »

Twenty-eight years ago today, my mother died of ovarian cancer. I was not quite 18. My mom and I were particularly close; I had the blessing of having my mom as my best friend. Losing her was like losing a part of me, and it took me years to come to… Read full post »

 “Dad’s new girlfriend wants to make me a Halloween costume.”

“She what?!?!”

“Wants to make me a Halloween costume.”

“But that’s a mommy’s job!

Okay, self, take a breath. Keep the car in the lane. I tried… Read full post »

I used to love cats. I grew up with them. There was an orange tabby I had. Very sweet and petite. I named her Caramel and called her Carrie. She used to curl up with me in the sunshine on the gold shag rug while I read. There was also Josie,… Read full post »

Joe Wilson is like the obnoxious kid in the back of the classroom. Misguided, impulsive, angry at the world. He needs to be sent to the principal’s office. But like all kids of his type, he is demanding too much of our attention. His hands have been slapped, he has made… Read full post »

In order to protect the innocent and the guilty, let’s call them…Jim, Ted, and Paul. They are posed on the balcony of an apartment in the year 1985. It is spring. A girl has just graduated from college. The three gentlemen (and really, they are) have gathered to help this girl… Read full post »

First Husband was an alcoholic. For many years I did not drink a thing because I was hoping it would encourage him to quit. It didn’t. So much for that.

At this point in life, I enjoy the occasional drink. I grew up with wine – my… Read full post »

People sell it on the streets.

They become dependent on it.

Kids raid medicine cabinets for it.

People OD on it.

It’s often on the list of drugs that killed this or that celebrity.

It’s addictive.

In my world, xanax is a… Read full post »

At 45, I was little on the old side to appreciate his movies as teenager. So I was able to appreciate them as a young adult instead. My favorite is probably Ferris Bueller. Everyone needs to take the day off once in a while, and that trio of kids kids did… Read full post »

Okay, I've read a few posts about blog ettiquette, but I'm still new here, and really, really hate to offend people, so I want to be clear. Here's my question:

If I don't respond to the comments you make to my blog, do you think I'm rude? Will you go away?… Read full post »

Or, My Life as Someone Else Knows It

Recently, I wrote about how Facebook returned me to my past, in the form of former boyfriends. I attributed my first kiss to a boy I knew in junior high school. Well, apparently I was wrong, I started kissing… Read full post »

Life is like a game of Chutes and Ladders. You start at 1, trying to get to 100. You count every step. The ups and downs come suddenly and randomly. The ups are laborious vertical climbs, the downs are rapid slides, landing on your ass. It is constantly… Read full post »

Raindrops on roses, and all that muck. Actually, that song is truly one of my favorites. I sang it to my daughter to help her sleep when she was younger. She won't let me sing it anymore. But I teach Kindergarten, I sing often to get my students’ attention and focus,… Read full post »

Okay, a little late for this party, but it's been a busy week. 

On any given day, this list may vary, except for how much I love my kid :)

10 things I love:

1. my daughter's laughter

2. my daughter dancing in the waves (this, frankly, is heaven)… Read full post »

Or, A Brief Trip Through Facebook-land

 It started out innocently enough. I joined Facebook in order to keep in touch with a couple of very important people for whom it was a primary means of communication. I quickly discovered that I have many friends and family on the site,… Read full post »

Well now I’ve gone and done it. I’ve put my writing in a place where people can read it. As any writer knows, a frightening prospect. I could always run off in a fit of terror and delete this blog. None of you know who I am, I could disappear and… Read full post »

I am a progressive liberal Democrat. For years I have not flown a flag outside my home, although I am definitely a patriot, proud of the country in which I live. I feared being mistaken for a conservative Republican flag-waver, which would have been a horrific label for anyone to place… Read full post »

     I was behind one of those minivans today. You know them; they have stick figure decals on the back showing the members of their family. Tall dad on the far left, followed by mom, two to four children of various sizes and genders, all the way down to the dog,… Read full post »

While I know that the reasons are infinitely more serious and diverse, it seems that a coffee cup and a flu shot are the reasons my marriage ended. Perhaps one could look at those items as representative of the issues at hand.

He came home from work each day,… Read full post »