I can’t wait! Next Saturday, I am going to visit my family for the second time since the pandemic started. This time, I’ll see my mother, brother, and sister-in-law. Because all three have been vaccinated (although I have not), the upcoming visit will definitely be different than the first. In August, my mother, brother, sister, … Continue reading A Family Gathering
Writer’s Block
Haiku: One little haiku-- This writer’s last resort to Post something today. Limerick: . There once was a writer at home Whose mind would constantly roam, Her writing was stuck In a brain full of muck So she never could finish a tome. . Diamante Poem: Stagnation Mundane, dull Hesitating, forgetting, halting Can I get … Continue reading Writer’s Block
The Hostess
My mahogany dining room table, now an 84-year-old antique, was owned by my grandmother, Nanny. On that table, amid each place setting of shiny silverware, Nanny served countless gourmet meals to friends and family. She made meals with cherry compote, lobster Newberg, browned butter asparagus, and charlotte russe (an elegant cake with layers of lady … Continue reading The Hostess
Keeping a Cast
When I was seven years old, horsing around with my cousins, I fell and broke two bones in my forearm. After the bones were set, they were stabilized in a cast that I wore for six weeks. Of course, I remember the events of the injury, but I don’t know why I remember keeping the … Continue reading Keeping a Cast
The Power of a Dream
I never believed in the power of dreams until I had one about my father, about six weeks after he passed away. In the dream, my dad was healthy and middle-aged, not the pained old man who had recently departed. In the scene, my father spoke softly, as he encouraged me to follow him. He … Continue reading The Power of a Dream
Ugly, Ragged Chairs
In a little sitting area in my kitchen, I have two hideous, threadbare chairs that my family and friends often plunk down and relax in. The chairs are comfortable but ugly recliners with drab, old-fashioned fabric that is worn thin. Worse, along the sides and backs of the chairs, the fabric has been shredded by … Continue reading Ugly, Ragged Chairs
The Zoo Beneath My Barn
In my suburban neighborhood, by my old 1835 farm house, I have a barn that is over 100 years old. Underneath my barn, there is a zoo of wild animals. The creatures have dug many holes along the foundation and made tunnels in the soil next to stones. When an animal is frightened, it races … Continue reading The Zoo Beneath My Barn
A Taste of Childhood
On March 11th, a slicer, Djvichos, wrote an appealing piece titled “What My Childhood Tasted Like” (https://djvichos.wordpress.com/2021/03/11/what-my-childhood-tasted-like/ ). I had fun using the idea to think about my own favorite foods from childhood. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Despite my mother’s other suggestions, I ate pb & j every single day of elementary school. I … Continue reading A Taste of Childhood
Clinging to Photographs
A monarch butterfly graces a butterfly bush in my garden “Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” Dorothea Lange I have no idea what to do with old photographs. I have ones of my mother when she was young, of my own youth, of my children, of travels, of … Continue reading Clinging to Photographs
The Bike Accident
About six years ago, I was happily riding my bicycle through a neighboring town, going as fast as I could up and down the hills. I felt free, independent, and strong. About six miles into my ride, I did something stupid. As I was pedaling fast, I wanted to see my pace, so I lifted … Continue reading The Bike Accident
The Writer's Workshop 