The other day I donned my face mask, as I do, and walked into a grocery store. A small child pulled at her mothers skirt and pointed at me. The mother embarrassedly tried not to make eye contact as she unsuccessfully tried to shush the child. "But mommy, you said they don't live this far … Continue reading Rarely Seen in These Parts
The Winter of My Discontent
The thing about the first snowfall is, it isn't supposed to last. It comes at some unexpected and inconvenient time, but we stop and watch it with awe and nostalgia. And then it disappears. Sometimes even as it's falling, but certainly within a day. But this is the year when nothing is according to plan. … Continue reading The Winter of My Discontent
I Bet She’s Been Here Before
It's about 10 o'clock in the evening (October15) and Randy draws my attention to the first snowfall of the season happening outside. It's beautiful, peaceful. We step just out the door onto the deck - for a minute - and then back inside where it's warm. We're standing in the kitchen moments later when I … Continue reading I Bet She’s Been Here Before
If We’re Being Honest
Thank you for calling (insert any company name here). You will wait a veeeeeerrrrrrrryyyyyyyy long time to speak to an agent. Though we are a telephone and internet service company, our servers and bandwidth are precisely one-quarter of what is necessary for the normal call volume we experience. In addition, we have about a … Continue reading If We’re Being Honest
Rain and Bourbon and Cabbages and Rain
There has been no continuity in the summers since we moved here. Nothing from one to the next that you can count on. The first year was mosquitoes and wildfire smoke. The second was wildfire smoke and drought. This summer has no mosquitoes (on our deck, at least) or wildfire smoke or real warmth. This … Continue reading Rain and Bourbon and Cabbages and Rain
Sunday Meditation
This morning I spent some time sitting on the deck, watching the creek flow, thinking about what I had just read in Meditations by Marcus Aurelius in my attempts to become a better human. Here it is: ...to avoid censuring others, to refrain from flouting them for a barbarism, solecism, or any false pronunciation. Rather … Continue reading Sunday Meditation
The Law of Attraction
There is a dresser in our house that sits in an awkward place. It's not it's permanent situation yet, but it should still be passable. And it is passable . . . by 50% of the people in our house. I am the 50% who cannot make it past the dresser unharmed every time. I … Continue reading The Law of Attraction
Derivative
What do you call those days when you work really hard at everything but nothing gets done, or at least, nothing gets done right? Even the creative turns out like shit. Just, nothing. I did plant that Mountain Ash in front of the house where the old spruce trees had to come down. I felt … Continue reading Derivative
Less a Thousand Words
I thought it would be easier/quicker to post pictures rather than write. Guess what.... The person who said 'a picture is worth a thousand words' clearly had not met me. In my world, a picture requires a thousand words to put it in context. And then you delete those thousand words because it's a picture, for … Continue reading Less a Thousand Words
Hair, circa Covid-19
I got my first grey hair when I was 25. On Christmas day, no less. I woke up in the morning, looked in the mirror, and thought 'what is in my hair?' So I pulled on it. Ouch! The damn thing was attached! I plucked it out, of course. That one white hair turned out … Continue reading Hair, circa Covid-19
