I still remember my daughter’s first day of pre-school. Her big brother was already in kindergarten, and after I dropped my daughter off at school and returned home, it hit me that for the first time in a number of years, I had a block of time, during the day, all to myself. I stopped short as I stepped through the doorway, thinking about the best way to use that time. Should I do a whirlwind housecleaning, since I could do so without any kids [...]
It was my husband’s 50th high school reunion, but we made it a week filled with reunions, from high school classmates and college buddies to other friends and family members we haven’t seen in quite a while. The high school reunion was the main reason for our trip to Chicago. But our first visit when we got into town was with friends we’ve known for well over fifty years. In our younger days, we used to go camping together, often with little more than a [...]
We’re back home now after almost a month on the road. The first trip was to visit our daughter in California. Then, after a few days at home – just enough time to unpack, do laundry, repack, and celebrate the 4th of July – we headed back out again to visit our son, daughter-in-law, and grandkids in Minnesota. It goes without saying that we had a wonderful time visiting with family, and I could write a dozen posts just on that. But there were also [...]
Our son was seven years old when Jurassic Park – the first one – came out in 1993. Like many seven-year-old boys – and girls, too, probably – he was fascinated by anything to do with dinosaurs, and of course wanted to go see the movie. We weren’t sure that was a good idea, so my husband and I decided to see the movie ourselves first, and then decide if it was okay for our son to see it. I still remember sitting in the [...]
It’s been an odd week. I did another COVID test on Friday and, like the one I did the week before, it was positive. This wasn’t particularly alarming, since I heard from several people – including a doctor and a pharmacist – that positive test results are not uncommon for a while after having COVID, even after symptoms are gone and it’s safe to start going about your normal activities again. My symptoms by that time were almost completely gone. I just had a slight [...]
Okay, it’s my turn. I felt like I was coming down with a cold yesterday. It was worse this morning, with a few extra symptoms that were annoying, but not alarming. Still, I remember a friend of mine saying not long ago that he had had what he thought was a cold, but turned out to be COVID. So I did a home COVID test, and – sure enough – it was positive. The first thing I did was call to cancel the dental appointment [...]
Today, I want to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to everyone who is – or has been – important to a child… To the ones who gave birth to them and raised them – which is often, but not always, the same person. To the ones who nurtured, educated, and inspired them. To the ones who stepped in and took over when Mom needed a break, or had to go back to work. To the ones who never had kids of their own, but was [...]
When I was very young, Easter Sunday meant walking up the hill to church for morning Mass, wearing a pretty dress and hat, white gloves, and ruffled anklets. Later in the afternoon would be a traditional Easter meal – sometimes at our house but usually at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Following that would be a few chocolate treats and marshmallow Peeps from our Easter baskets – especially welcome after having gone without candy of any kind all through Lent. When my kids were young, some things [...]
When we lived in Minnesota, my sister and I used to visit the Minneapolis Farmers Market almost every spring. We have very different tastes and interests, so one of us would linger at a booth the other would barely glance at. We’d often pass each other up, and meet at the end of the aisle. While my sister spent time looking at flowers, I would be checking out herbs and veggies. She liked garden decorations and knick-knacks. I preferred kitchen gadgets and seasoning blends. I [...]
“What have you lost that you’d most like to find?” That was the question at a Toastmasters Table Topics contest I recently attended, via Zoom, at the club in Minnesota I belonged to when I first joined Toastmasters. “Table Topics” is a part of every Toastmasters meeting, and it’s designed to help members learn to think on their feet and organize their thoughts quickly by responding – for one to two minutes – to an open-ended question. In a Table Topics competition, the contestants are [...]