Category Mid-life Crisis
The Jitters, Or, The Nightmares Cometh
It happens every now and again. Sometimes I have a bad day at work. Or a mistake I made that I can’t let go. Something’s looming on the horizon and I obsess about it. Or my brain simply won’t shut up, no matter what I do or try not to dwell upon. It’s a case […]
It’s Complicated
Son came to us when he was eight years old. We adopted him from foster care. A feral youth, he knew nothing of personal hygiene, was illiterate, spoke inarticulately, had rotten teeth and suffered from severe ADHD. He’d been horribly neglected. The school he’d been attending wrote him off and considered him unteachable. Despite this, […]
Wrestling With Words and Other Writing Conundrums
It all seemed so wonderful, this writers conference. None of us had been out amongst fellow writers and friends for what seemed like forever. Our last conference was cancelled (I’m sure I don’t have to tell you why). Omicron wasn’t even anything beyond a letter in the Greek alphabet. We were all vaxxed, masked and […]
Change
I took the above picture this morning as I went on my morning walk. Only a few weeks ago, the mountains were decorated in orange, red and rust hues. Now, they’re just brown and bare. The lake still has its usual population of waterfowl, including geese, ducks and swans (they always class up any body […]
Success
Because I’ll take any excuse to whip up some pancakes and sausages, I invited two of my friends over for brunch. I know, that’s pretty said, but then again, you can’t beat pumpkin pancakes with link breakfast sausage on a chilly October morning. That, and I hadn’t seen Chelsea and Connie in ages. Well before […]
The Foreigner
We sat around the dining room table, chewing on the remains of scones and a fruit platter. The Zoom version of our writers group ended and a discussion of its topic lingered a short while after. But of course, as conversations goes, it turned to the inevitable, at least in this group. Husbands. Isn’t it […]
Confidence Game
I don’t know the first thing about chess. Well, okay. I know what pawns do, and pretty much what kings and queens do. Apart from that, a game with me would last about an eighth of a second. Still, this chess set created from sculptural table and chairs had me thinking. Oh, sure, I’d love […]
Throwaway Women
I was elated to receive an invitation to attend a gallery opening. Gave me one more event to add to my calendar, which, thank goodness, has been filling up a bit. Several artists gathered together to show their works and since I knew them, I had to go. Besides, it seemed like fun, something that’s […]
Stress Test
Sometimes you feel as if the world is out to get you. There’s no logic to why things just seem to happen; events just hurtle out of control. Sensing doom, a monster rises from within, on the attack. Whether or not this is a good thing remains to be seen. It sure feels great to […]
Self-Isolation
I’m sure I’m not the only one to say this, but I’ve been spending too much time alone. There’s lots to be said about the solitary life, such as it creates self-reflection, gives one the chance to clear out the basement, or cook odd food combinations for dinner, like split peas and licorice. Mind you, […]
Confessions of A Middle-Age Woman 