It’s sweater weather around here. Time to revisit the gray sweater story. . . The gray yarn looked scratchy, like an old man’s stubble. Betty, my friend Debbie’s mother, had knitted it into an almost-finished sweater. Two strands, twisted together, comprised the heavy braided cables and stitches in row after row of pattern. I can’t… Continue Reading
I Made It Myself!
My friend and fellow blogger over at Midlife Mixtape wrote a terrific post about the sorts of homemade gifts she and her siblings created for each other when they were growing up. I know what she means when she says that some of those made by hand gifts were treasured much more than store bought ones.… Continue Reading
A King Kong Christmas
In honor of the season, here is a piece I wrote a few years ago. This is the first year since the early days of our marriage we won’t have a tree at home. I know my husband will miss the tradition, so here they are–together again! Many people have lovely angel ornaments… Continue Reading
None of the Boring Bits
Walking around in Sydney last week, I saw one of those carts full of ice cream-on-a-stick options. One colorful poster advertising something within promised “none of the boring bits,” and I guess this is my way of describing what comes next on “Zero to Sixty in One Year.” Not ice cream on a stick. The… Continue Reading
Meeting Madeleine: June 2007
A Grandmother’s Tale My journey to meet Madeleine began with a phone call. I stood in front of the pantry I was cleaning out in my mother’s kitchen, looking at boxes and cans dating back to the 20th century, when my son-in-law reached me on my cell phone. “I guess you know why I’m calling,”… Continue Reading
Gradual School, Again
My inspiration After about 15 years of working in high schools as a college counselor, and taking writing classes on the side, I reached a crossroads: I could keep doing what I was doing and wonder what it would have been like to live a writer’s life, or take the plunge and actually live that… Continue Reading
Wax Angel
Mom at the mic, circa 1960 After my mother died in 2007, my sister and I tackled the job of clearing out her house, room by room. I thought the kitchen pantry would be pretty straightforward, so I opened the door and surveyed the shelves. My mother’s pantry: stockpiled with “just in case” supplies left… Continue Reading
About a Boy; Also About a Cake
There’s a story behind this story. In the fall of 2003, my younger son was getting ready to write his college essays. I asked him what he wanted to write about. He thought a moment, and then he said, “Maybe I’ll write about the castle cake.”The castle cake! I wondered what he’d write about it.… Continue Reading
A Touch of Gray
It says right there on my California driver’s license—Hair: GRY. I must have changed it when I renewed my license over ten years ago. That would be about right. The year was 2000. I’d grown weary of the increasingly frequent trips to the hair salon to fight the rising tide of gray hair. By then… Continue Reading
For Dad, part two
Dad’s Guide to Life My dad was a teacher, and like many outstanding teachers, he never took time off from teaching. Sure, there were vacations and summers, but he was always on the job. If no students were around, he always had my sister and me. I have put together some of his most important… Continue Reading