Today is our anniversary. I’m posting this again, as I have before, because I want to remember. We are different today, but also the same. This reminds me…of that long-ago day, when we were impossibly young. Our wedding wasn’t perfect, wasn’t grand–just simple and as much “us” as we could make it. I wonder if… Continue Reading
The Box
The box sits in my home office. The colorful files inside it are visible through the opaque plastic lid. Inside the colorful files are all the documents related to my sister’s estate: legal documents, paid bills, journals, a calendar, a checkbook, a passport. The papers inside represent the events of the last year and a… Continue Reading
What I Drank on My Summer Vacation
Anyone who chooses to call herself Ms Barstool will not likely post photos of tropical sunsets or local flora and/or fauna when she ventures off her barstool and out into the world. While the sun set and the surf kissed the shore and the palm trees swayed, I took photos of my luscious island cocktails.… Continue Reading
There Was a Fire Here: The Mixtape
Friend and writer buddy Nancy Davis Kho kindly invited me to be a guest on her Midlife Mixtape blog. I was delighted to pull together an admittedly oldies sound track for my book, which she graciously published today. Come back to yesteryear with me and listen to the songs that are woven into the fabric… Continue Reading
Button, button . . .
My aunt had the buttons! I’ve written about my Aunt Ruth and her buttons here and in my book. She inspired me to start my own collection when I was a teenager. I kept them in a small box inside my grandparents’ secretary desk. I visited my cousin recently and we talked about his mother’s… Continue Reading
Aunt Augusta’s Chair
An excerpt from my book, in which a special chair follows our family through many transitions. This is from one of the “artifact” chapters that are woven into the story of the fire’s aftermath. There is only one black and white photo in the book, but there are so many more… I first saw this… Continue Reading
Please Mr.Postman
I got an email from the United States Postal Service this week. It was a notification that my mail–or rather, my sister’s mail–would no longer be forwarded to my address, effective June 15th–one year after I sent in a change of address form. As the anniversary of her death approaches this month, there are so… Continue Reading
My Aunt Rocks!
Her name is Rockie, but don’t take her for granite. One of her jokes. Her given name is Rokama. According to several sources I consulted, in Hebrew the name means “comforted.” Or beloved. Or one who has received mercy. Or possibly: compassion. They all fit. If I had to name some of the influential women… Continue Reading
Old Dreams
During my MFA program at Saint Mary’s College, I read Abigail Thomas for the first time. She rocked my world as a writer. Doing a search through some old documents, I found this piece that was inspired by her. Kind of like finding something special that I’d forgotten about. Inspired by Abigail Thomas: Old… Continue Reading
First Birthday
My sister’s birthday is coming up in April. This will be the first time in over sixty years that I will not buy a card, select a gift, or have dinner with her. No candles, no cake, no celebration. The following month, in May, I will observe the first anniversary of her death—and then… Continue Reading