Requiem for a Mismatched Pair of Socks You insidious unpaired defiant wretches Unaccustomed to the other Patterns in heated dispute Yet emerging as if wed Once each of you were holy partnered Right and left together properly bedded Now here you lie Too unlike the other to become one Destined to spend unnumbered days Cast […]

I scooted over for about the dozenth time from my spot on the porch steps to let one of my older cousins pass, and tried to balance my too-full plate on my eight-year-old lap without spilling. Mom always insisted I have new clothes for Thanksgiving—not sure why. I always ended up spilling on it, or […]

Last week, my family spent several days in Georgetown’s I.C.U. with my dad. He’s now home and recovering nicely, thank you for asking. But while we were there, I learned some interesting things about hospital life, and I thought it might be wise to share them with you, just in case you ever have to […]

I have decided to open a wildlife refuge in my home. Maybe even charge admission, and make it a tourist attraction. After all, the critters seem to have adopted my house as their own. Perhaps it’s the heat or the drought bringing them to my doorstep. But honestly, if I’m going to provide the shelter, […]

Last Friday, I nearly lost my life. I was standing in the laundry room, removing  wet clothes from the washing machine and putting them in the dryer when a predator made his presence known, and I screamed so loud I could have wakened the dead. There, in the midst of my nice, clean, wet laundry, […]

You never know what a day will bring. About twenty-one years ago, my friend Becky called me. Her car was broken down, and she needed me to rescue her. I picked her up from a friend’s house, where another guest just happened to be visiting. This guest was a tall, slim, broad-shouldered fellow with olive […]

  Today is the last day of school. Eight hours of bittersweet chaos. Today, in schools across the U.S., students will clean out lockers, sign yearbooks, hug their teachers goodbye, and wish one another a fun summer. Some will feel blissful, others sad. I’m leaning more toward the blissful side, though I will miss my […]

My son has planted a vegetable garden. He begged to do it, but I resisted the idea after my own failed attempt at cherry tomatoes years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. I planted the cherry tomato seeds, and lovingly cultivated each sprout. Tenderly, I transplanted the sprouts to their own pots — […]

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I don’t understand men. I don’t understand the big ones. I don’t understand the medium-sized ones. And I don’t understand the pint-sized men-in-training. The latest mystery of the male species, which I’ve pondered for several weeks now, is the male inclination to boast. It doesn’t seem […]

A monster lives under my bed. I don’t like him, and I don’t want him there. But no matter what I do to try and get rid of him, he holds his ground. Just when I think I’ve driven him away for good, he growls again, reminding me that he’s been there all along. So […]