Published inMiddle-Pause·PinnedMember-only20 Hooks & Still the Bustier & My Bosom Did Not Match UpA night to remember. . . and laugh about — This week marks our 40th wedding anniversary. It was a quiet day officiated by a bouquet of tulips, exquisite patisserie, and affectionate kisses. Our idea of romance is solving the crossword — together. We are intense and all over each other. More than once my husband has had to guide…Unforgettable Moments4 min readUnforgettable Moments4 min read
Published inThe Daily Cuppa·PinnedMember-onlyCan a Cable Tie Hold Spring Together?A prosing question This year’s winter closed out with a repeating sleet-freeze-thaw cycle that shocked the trees and shrubs. The last snowfall was so thick the branch of this ornamental tree peeled away from the snow’s weight. The day it happened, I bandaged it with burlap twine and used a fallen branch for…Global Health1 min readGlobal Health1 min read
Published inDead or Alive·May 18Member-onlySpiders Make Easy VillainsI doubt they care — Spiders1 min readSpiders1 min read
Published inPoetry Cove·May 13Member-onlyHave I Bumbled May?A gardener’s lament — My May choreography is askew. A Dandelion chorus runs rampant through every lawn — It’s not a Violet’s sweet nature to reprimand. Sweet Grass hugs the sidewalk. Thyme has yet to creep. Yarrow lays low. The bunnies are uprising. …May1 min readMay1 min read
Published inThe Book Cafe·May 6Member-onlyAuthor Nancy Farmer Is a VisionaryComing-of-Age can be a horror story — I became a fan of Nancy Farmer after I checked out her middle-grade book The Ear, The Eye, & the Arm when I worked at the library. This fable, set in modern Africa, could be magic realism. …Clones4 min readClones4 min read
Published inMiddle-Pause·Apr 26Member-onlyOde to My UnderwearThat barely contains my opulent bum — Underwear1 min readUnderwear1 min read
Published inPoetry Cove·Updated Apr 23Member-onlyWhat I’m CalledIs not who I am — Nicknames1 min readNicknames1 min read
Published inMiddle-Pause·Apr 18Member-onlyI’ll Have What They’re HavingA vacation with a side of grief — Computers have a feature that shares photo rolls of memories including their time and location. As long as the music is muted, I enjoy them. My daughter lives in California and during one of our monthly phone calls, she complained that her family hasn’t visited her since 2019. …Family Vacation5 min readFamily Vacation5 min read
Published inEngage·Apr 8Member-onlyArt In MotionMy mother saw beauty everywhere — My mother was a wild Fauvist at heart It started when she worked at the Baltimore Museum of Art where admission is still free. She met the Cone sisters who collected art from Henri Matisse. She even visited their home and saw those paintings on display before they were donated to the museum. Fauvism /ˈfoʊvɪzm̩/ is the style…The Shoe House5 min readThe Shoe House5 min read
Published inMiddle-Pause·Mar 24Member-onlyForty Years of MarriageEach decade makes the bond stronger — My husband and I met in the Theater Arts department at college. He saw me in my Tweety Bird t-shirt sewing in the costume shop. I smiled at him and that was it. I saw him a year later and reintroduced myself and we’ve been together ever since. There have…Marriage4 min readMarriage4 min read