We couldn’t get out of the car fast enough; flying effortlessly up the steep cement steps and into the house where hugs and Christmas greetings welcomed us. A shot of brown liquor was ceremoniously thrust into my father’s hand. We added our coats to the mounding pile and breathed in deeply; the smells of my…… Continue reading Simply the best
I’ve been cleaning! Yup, it’s like I’m nesting, but I’m not. It all started in the kitchen one day, and then successfully moved to the cellar, various closets, and culminated with an attack of the ever popular under bed storage containers. Needless to say, it takes time and a strong will to clean out properly;…… Continue reading What would you say?
The sound bellowed through the house like an angry swarm of bees; she could not ignore the call. She walked with purpose from one end of the house to the other; she was not afraid. Once she entered the room, she forcefully pulled the door open and retrieved the rascal from its warm cocoon. This…… Continue reading The unruly one
Two small salmon swivel rockers sat in front of the family room window. For the last ten years of her life, I took up residence in one of those chairs, listening intently as she reminisced about the past and asking questions about her youth. That swivel seat afforded me time to know her not only as my grandmother, but as a…… Continue reading Front row seat
I pushed the heavy door open, slowly, and a bit reluctantly. The room was somber and devoid of sunlight. I could see my aunt caressing my grandmother’s thin white hand while gently cradling her face with the other. My grandmother appeared strained, tired, absent. I gingerly walked into the room finding my place at her bedside. She…… Continue reading Behind that door
Stop right where you are and look; what do you see? I am sitting squarely in front of a large picture window and in my view, twenty feet away, sits a sprawling Bradford Pear tree. A tree with no leaves emanating from its barren branches. So, is that all I see, or is there more? I…… Continue reading Right in front of me
Intermittent rain drops fell, and where winter’s thick white blanket once covered the ground, wilted dull blades of grass withstood the poking and prodding of spastic squirrels searching for buried treasure. The garden beds were littered with discarded and decaying branches. Scattered rusted relics, once supple and green, gathered in and around stubborn skeletal stalks of perennial plants, providing complimentary insulation through the cold winter months. The only…… Continue reading The Messenger
Remember when you were a kid and you didn’t care if a cold winter snowstorm made booger icicles hang from the end of your nose, because you had just one job to do and it was all you could focus on; PLAY OUTSIDE. Whether it was a desperately appreciated snow day, the hours after school before homework time, or a glorious…… Continue reading Remember when…
We were sitting near the electric fireplace in the lobby. I had pulled a chair close to his wheelchair. I opened the newspaper that he encouraged me to take home and read because, “there’s a lot of good stuff in there,” and found an interesting article about an artist who uses old wine barrels to make…… Continue reading A Few Quiet Minutes
~ “Right time right place” ~ “Meant to be” ~ “Divine intervention”~ “Coincidence” ~ No matter how you slice it…sometimes, things just line up perfectly. My husband and I frequent an eclectic restaurant for breakfast every weekend called “The Friendly Toast,” located in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It’s our go-to-spot located 30 minutes to our north. It is, by…… Continue reading Breakfast Bond
Pretty Mama Cares 