In 1968, there was an advertising campaign targeted at women with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby.” This particular ad was for cigarettes, but the implication was more widespread – that women were moving forward in their liberation from a male dominated world that dictated what they could and could not do. In…
Month: June 2014
Rachael: Back in CA
My daughter Rachael ended her year in Texas today. She flew back to LA to start her new job as nanny to her niece Luna for the year and to start a LSAT preparation course so she can apply to law school for entrance in 2015. This is a win-win for Rachael and for sister…
Life Shifts
Cool night. Nice westerly wind. Late. Sounds of the highway off in the distance. Crickets nearby. Tired after a long day’s work. Organizing junk, mowing, editing, visiting, renting out an apartment, and eating dinner with friends. Not much detail tonight. Just a chance to get this down before a quick bath to wash off the…
A Friend Who Is Dying
My friend Peter is dying. He is 56. He hasn’t felt great for the last few months, but thought he might have some low-grade bug that was dragging him down. As it turned out, he had cancer that started in his colon and has since infiltrated his liver and his lungs. The doctor has given…
Across Worlds
Gerald was dusting the pump organ in the front parlor of his restored Victorian when he twisted around to see what all the ruckus was about. Olivia, his Scottish terrier, was in the corner of the room barking madly at an object on the floor. Gerald called out to Olivia to hush, but no amount of…
Flash Memoir: Skin
In 6th grade, my teacher, Mrs. Miller, pulled me aside in the hall just before lunch. She peered down at me and said, “What are your parents doing about your skin?” I felt my cheeks grow warm and I knew I was blushing. “I just started going to a dermatologist.” My teacher was referring to…
Flash Essay Prompt: Hauntings
My four dead siblings haunt me. Not in a bad way, please understand. It is as if they are always nearby, as if they are sprawled on the couch and chairs near me now, reading, laughing, talking to one another. They also sometimes talk to me, but usually not. I can see them in my…
Some Wise Words
My husband Ray can be loud, funny, opinionated, and capable of driving me crazy on occasion, but he has a way of coming up with little gems that have a particular ring of truth. Today was an example. Today I said to him, “I don’t want to snap at you but sometimes I just can’t…
A Good Feeling on Several Counts
I am writing tonight after a very satisfying day. We had our annual neighborhood garage sale, which proved to be as much fun as it has been in years past. We started bright and early this morning (Ray and I were putting signs out at 6:30) and our first customers arrived exactly at 7 am….
Texas, Heat and Tomorrow’s Garage Sale
The fans are whirring, the windows are open, the doors are open, too, with the screen doors keeping out the mosquitoes that are surely in search of a nice juicy morsel of flesh. Ray is already upstairs in the bedroom in the air conditioning; I suspect he may already be sound asleep at 9:33 pm. The…
20 Minutes a Day 