I need help

My daughter was diagnosed with Lupus in 2004. Her life has been a struggle, but she has managed to graduate college, get married and be Mom to two rambunctious boys. We are sheltering in place across the world to help save the lives of her, and other vulnerable people. Yet the medication she needs, Plaquenil, … Continue reading I need help →

My Three Moms

I had the benefit of being raised by three women. Each with differing personality traits, strengths and expectations. The only thing they had in common was love and commitment, to my sister and I. My parents married very young. My mother, Deeann, was a mom by age seventeen and a divorcee with two small kids, … Continue reading My Three Moms →

Pain in the Neck

I recently discovered that I have seven different travel-neck pillows. I own two of a few of those (one for me, and one for hubby) which makes a grand total 10! Does that seem excessive? Debating the merits of each one, or attempting to justify this odd collection seems unnecessary, given the fact that I … Continue reading Pain in the Neck →

Gremlins

With a huge sigh of relief, I shut and locked my front door. Whew, the little devils were gone. Hallelujah! I love my grandchildren, truly I do, but they are exhausting. It seemed as though my house had been invaded by poltergeists, the way the lights kept turning on and off, on and off. “Please … Continue reading Gremlins →

Hands

With his tiny finger, my grandson traced the raised veins on the back of my hand. His touch was gentle, and with it came a flood of warm and tender memories. Those conspicuous veins are a family trait. I have my mother's hands. My mother never liked her hands, with the protruding and noticeable … Continue reading Hands →

The Hunt for Northern Lights

I had been staring mindlessly, out the airplane window. The overnight flight had been filled with hours spent on my tablet, crocheting, reading, doing anything except (unfortunately) sleeping. Sleep usually eludes me when flying, but for once it was a good thing. I began to notice a slight green glow in the sky, so light … Continue reading The Hunt for Northern Lights →

Odd Ducks

They were cute when they first showed up. Two wild ducks, waddling around, side by side on the grass, quacking up a storm. Within a week they had coerced me into buying them their own bag of food, and a plastic kiddie pool. A few days later they began venturing from the grass onto the … Continue reading Odd Ducks →

48 Hours in Mexico

My daughter invited me to attend her bachelorette party. Forty-eight hours in Ensenada, Mexico. Me, and a dozen young women half my age, all of them ready for a fun weekend of dining, dancing and drinking. My goal was simply to survive. The trip started off on shaky ground. Just hours before our departure, … Continue reading 48 Hours in Mexico →

Grandma v. Stroller

I stood in the rain, my frustration mounting. I muttered to myself as horns honked and strangers offered advice. I gave the stroller a hard kick. It was another episode of, Grandma vs. Stroller. When my kids were little there was only one kind of stroller. It had a metal frame and a plastic … Continue reading Grandma v. Stroller →

My Flight Certificate

I love hot air balloons. Their beautiful colors stand out brightly against a dark morning sky. The silence as they glide along, broken by the intermittent bursts of gas and flame that keep them afloat. They are relaxing to watch, and thrilling to ride. I never miss a chance to experience the excitement of … Continue reading My Flight Certificate →

Wolf

My kitchen stove doesn’t like me. I had high hopes and great expectations when the two of us met, but that was before the bullying began. I purchased a home that is equipped with the range of my dreams. It is a spectacular Wolf brand, professional grade cooktop and oven. It is said to be … Continue reading Wolf →

Traveling Light

My Pinterest board reveals a secret about me. There are two pins about food, six about writing and 125 about packing light. I clearly spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking, researching and fantasizing about what to pack for a trip. I’ve downloaded e-books, read hundreds of blogs and watched videos. I attended a five … Continue reading Traveling Light →

Can I Give You My Card?

Beautiful new business cards for my blog had arrived, just in time for an upcoming conference. I promised myself I would hand out at least one, every day. That shouldn’t be too tough, even for an introvert like me. Yet somehow I failed. Miserably. I was attending The Crochet Guild of America’s yearly convention. … Continue reading Can I Give You My Card? →

The Stocking Queen

There are times that I question my intelligence. If I had said yes, I could have saved myself hundreds of hours of work. Hours spend peering through a magnifying glass trying to thread a needle. Hours spent cutting out microscopic pieces of felt, and sewing on tiny little sequins and teeny beads. What the heck … Continue reading The Stocking Queen →

St. Patrick’s in New Orleans

The smell of beer, mixed with vomit and urine, permeated the air. I stepped gingerly around puddles, of who knows what, pooling on the ground. I wished that my toes were covered. Yuck. Women all around me were lifting their shirts and showing their breasts, in exchange for worthless beads. I was drinking a foot … Continue reading St. Patrick’s in New Orleans →