My husband is still sleeping. He fell asleep watching television; I did, too, but I got up and headed to bed. He woke for a moment and said, “I’ll be there in a minute.” I knew I’d wake up at 3 am and find the television still on along with all the lights and hear…
Category: Family
Flash Fiction Prompt: A Shift in Perspective
The sky was light in the east, and the world had just begun to stir. Calista sat at her kitchen table and thumbed through the LA Times. Where was Brian and why hadn’t he come home last night? He usually called if he wasn’t going to make it home. The dog barked. Calista knew this…
Prompt: Reading and the Recession
Beloved. I need to read Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Rachael has asked me to help her with one of her college essays on the book, plus one of my high school students will be writing about it in his AP English class and asked for my help. I’m happy to read it; I’m delighted to read…
Ten Things Age Has Brought Me Since I Turn 59 Today
Today is my birthday. I am 59-years-old. That’s one year from 60 for those of you with less than stellar math skills. Dear Lord in heaven, how did that happen? The 60 part, not your math skills. It’s crazy this aging thing. The part that nobody mentioned (all those OLD people like my mom and…
An Empty-Nester on the Move
Tonight I am too tired to write much. The truth is I hand wrote an essay for my blog, but am too tired to transcribe. Students and preparation for my online class, plus a major room switch prompted by our youngest child moving out are the blame. I am happy with the room switch, however,…
My Imaginary Friend, Tommy Wizzims
I told this story to some of the volunteers at the St. Thomas the Apostle Breakfast Club where we were feeding the homeless this morning. Someone was saying she fell in love with a teenage boy when she was three. I had to tell her about Tommy Wizzims. Here is that story written a while…
Liz’s Birthday
The end of a satisfying day Lots of good food Lots of good company Lots of laughter No better way to celebrate a birthday My middle daughter looked happy today She smiled And laughed And said lots of thank you’s The best gift a mother can have
The Secret of How to Help A Baby Go to Sleep
Tomorrow is my daughter Elizabeth’s 26th birthday. She is coming over so we can celebrate. Waffles and turkey bacon are on the menu for brunch, then we have a few movies to watch before having the “official’ birthday meal, which will be of her choosing. It is a tradition in our family that we talk…
Prompt: The Gift of a Quilt
I am giving each of my three daughters a quilt as a keepsake. These are not quilts made by me with fabric from their Easter dresses or from their first days of school. How I wish I had been so forward thinking that I had saved those favorite dresses and tops for that purpose! No,…
Childhood Games and Career Choices
You know how sometimes you read that if you go back to what you loved doing when you were a little kid – 4, 5, or 6 – then that will tell you what your ideal occupation should be? Well, in my case, this is exactly true since when I was a little girl, my…
20 Minutes a Day 