A sad state of affairs

Not to burst anyone's bubble or anything, but I was reading an article recently about a number of senior citizens who have committed suicide or "murder'"in the last couple of months.

Feelin’ the devil

I try hard not to think about all the evil in the world because I don't want to draw that negative force around me. I just keep trying to look at the good stuff that goes on, but sometimes I think the evil is outweighing the good.Case in point: Zahra Baker. That sweet beautiful little girl in North Carolina who went "missing." Whenever you hear the word "missing" anymore, you immediately suspect the parents. Used to be ...

In mood for festive fare

As the Thanksgiving holiday winds down, the roly-poly aftermath shows no signs of slowing. Shuffling out to the kitchen for breakfast with eyes crusted over from the holiday glaze, I work my way around in the dark and hit the switch on the coffee machine.

Take care and be aware

"It's 10 o'clock. Do you know where your children are?" Remember that 'heads up' we used to get at night? I think it was on primarily during the summer, as I remember it well during the early to mid '70s. We knew when it was 10 o'clock cause our porch light would start flickering. That would be Pop's five-minute warning. Your tail had better be smack inside that door by ten-o-five if you wanted to not only ...

Playing pretend soldier

Every now and then, I come across someone who claims "veteran" status, when in fact, all they did was sit in the front of the television and observe while the real vets were actually the ones caught in whatever fray was going on at the time. Don't get me wrong, I do come from a military family and I do support all our veterans, even the ones who were desk jockeys or didn't have to go ...

Doing the cancan-nabis

So, Prop 19 in sunny California was about legalizing marijuana once and for all. In California, that is. Most other states still view marijuana as a "vile weed." It is regarded much the same way now as it was back in the middle of the 20th century. I don't smoke pot, mainly 'cause I just don't want smoke in my lungs, but I tried it a couple of times and all it did was make me feel ...

Opening a can of worms

I am a pretty patient person. I roll with the punches, and just glide and slide wherever the tide takes me. I don't get upset about too many things. I shrug stuff off and if I can fix it I do and if I can't I just hope for a decent outcome. You know, some things you have control over and other things you don't. The Kid was busy doing some drawings the other night, so I decided to ...

Not so smoky and sultry

A friend of mine jogged my memory one morning when she mentioned something about how her folks used to smoke when they were out driving. "Windows rolled up, mind you, and I would always get carsick!" I laughed because all my folks had to do was mention "getting in the car" and my knees would go weak and I'd break out in a cold sweat. Those two chimney stacks we called "Mom" and "Dad" could hardly wait to ...

Culture shock for lunch

Before I even get started with this week's particular contribution to the literary world, let me begin by saying that I mean absolutely no offense to any of our friends who have come to this great country seeking a better life for themselves and their families. I know many have come great distances to be here and many have used their last plug nickel to get across the border. I hope that whatever it is you ...

Inside Pandora’s boxes

Am I the only woman who ever hid stuff from the husband? Like, a new shirt or sweater that had to stay in the trunk of the car for a few weeks? Or a new pair of shoes? Not trying to be deceitful or anything, but you know, sometimes it pays to have a good hiding place till the new item can segue into the general mix. A year down the road is usually a good time frame. He: ...

Don’t ask and don’t tell

Someone I know quite well posted this on their Facebook page recently. I have to say, I was a little taken aback as this gal is well educated and has relatives who are in education. She is in her late 30s, so she should really have an answer to all these items she put on her list. This is what she had to say: "I've been making a list of the things they don't teach you in school. ...

A holidaze outing

Just when I thought it was safe to go back into the water ... or rather, back into the family fun park. The company Hubs now works for had a big outing for all their employees at one of the big amusement parks. Sort of an "appreciation day," if you will. I'm not just talking about all the employees in the office he works in, I'm talking about the company-wide employees. I thought it would be fun to take ...

Who’s on the playing field?

In talking about current events, Hubs and I embarked on the topic of the mosque that the Imam wants to build near the site of Ground Zero. Mayor Bloomberg doesn't want to investigate where the funds are coming from to build it, and really, why would he care? It's going to mean jobs and money for New York City, which is more than our government is doing for anyone. The public is upset that the Muslims are ...

The school daze blues

The school daze blues

Am I just imagining things, or does The Kid always get sick for one day during the first week of school? I know he does ... I should have been keeping count. I don't know if it's because he spends all summer away from other kids for the most part and is then thrown into a classroom with 29 strangers one morning or if it's just the sheer anxiety of it all. This year is a little different. I'll ...

Tales of the homeless husband

Well, the day finally arrived. Hubs made it home for his mini-vacation, and he's already driving me bonkers.

The winter cold swoops in

Clearly it's wintertime when The Kid starts getting the sniffles. After a few days of that, it turns into the snuffles. A couple of days later, he's up for a Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Interpretation of a Cold.

Visiting with The Man

A new year is upon us, as fast and furious as guns being shipped south of the border. Lawsy! And of course, being that it's a time to think about changes to be made in the coming year, or upgrades or better living or what have you, that knock I was anticipating sure enough came to my door.

Pictures worth a thousand words

In trying to broaden my horizon somewhat, and in an effort to keep what little brain cells I still have working, I've enrolled in a course that requires me to have a medical dictionary.

Home for the holidays

"Oh there's no place like hooome for the holidays ... and no matter how far a-way you are ... if you want to be happy in a million ways ... for the holidays you can't beat going home ...."

Time misses the mark

How very sad is it that President Obama was selected - yet again - as Time's "Person of the Year"?

It’s baby jail time for The Kid

It's 7:30 a.m. and I've just dropped off my juvie at school. It's been quite a week, lemme tell ya!

Tales from the mother lode

Now, I hope I haven't done this every year, but my somewhat aging brain tells me I haven't so I will forge ahead and go with the flow and write about my mother in honor of what would have been her 79th birthday. Sounds so young, doesn't it?

Talkin’ more turkey

I'm not usually the type of person who goes public when it comes to saying things I'm grateful for or thankful for. It's between me and my good buddy Jesus and his old man. They always get a chest thump and "peace out" from me.

Tuesdays with Marilyn

Now that I'm living back in the same town as my ma in-law, it has become more-or-less routine for me to take her out on a Tuesday.

If the house is a-rockin’...

Don't bother knockin'. 'Cause we're dancing like it's 1999. Or better yet, we're dancing till the Mayan calendar ends. Which was officially November 6, 2012.

Mi casa es su casa

You know that old saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure"? Well, that could be said in just about any circumstance, but in particular with houses.

Do unlike your neighbors

There's nothing in the world quite like meeting new neighbors. The folks who live next door and across the street are new to us, and I've chummed up with the fella next door right quick. I could tell with one glance that he's former military, and he did not disappoint. He spent six years in the Navy and is soon going to be celebrating his 86th birthday.

It’s a thin line

Kind hearts and gentle people.

Digging into new digs

As we are in the process of making our 15th move in 13 years, it's come under my "to-do" list to find suitable accommodations for Hubs, who will remain in the current locale whilst The Kid and I hasten away to our humble new abode.