My older brother was always getting into trouble and dragging me along with him. Worst of all was the cat and the laundry chute incident. Our house had two floors and a basement. In the hallway on the second story was a laundry chute for dirty sheets, towels, and clothing, all of which came out
Read Moretraditions
Which One is the Marrow Spoon?
My Mother was a real stickler for manners. As the youngest, I caught the convergence of Mom’s good manners and a passion for all things British which included formal dining. I was about 8, when she called me into the dining room for lessons on how to successfully dine. I enjoyed these sessions with my
Read More
Too Hot Two Bangs, Too Cold One Bang
When the ex and I first moved to the land I live on now, we rented a neighbor’s cottage. It was a rustic, cozy place with an outhouse close by and no running water. There was a cistern at the top of the land where you could fill water jugs plus there was an outside
Read More
Question: what did she mean by saying “that explains a lot about you?”
My Mom was delightfully, wickedly, intelligent but born in the wrong era for the outspoken woman she was. She loved us, but children and family really weren’t her thing. You had to believe she meant well when she said some of the things she did. That wasn’t easy sometimes. Check this out. I was born
Read More
Riding the Updraft
I drive by an active limestone quarry on my way home. It’s common to see 20 plus vultures sailing on the updrafts from the stone pits. I figure it’s the one beauty in a vulture’s life: to be sailing in the sunshine on the updrafts. Ken says we might want to be worried about the
Read More
Thanksgiving chaos ala Mackey
My Mother didn’t want to cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. She was more interested in sitting in her favorite chair, reading the convoluted history of the English monarchy while drinking a beer and eating popcorn. Actually, this sounds great to me so I totally get her attitude. I regret to say that we were argumentative
Read More
Look Out: I Am the Alpha Chicken
Here’s another post about a Thanksgiving Day disaster at my Dad’s family farm. I have mixed childhood memories about that farm. And check out the other T-day post called Stinky Dog Thanksgiving. In fact, check out all the other posts you might have missed, I dare you! I grew up in suburbia. My mother loved
Read More
Stinky Dog Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving for us meant a trip to the family farm in Kentucky where Dad’s aunts lived. One year Dad decided to go hunting while we visited and packed his guns and his hunting dog Chad for the trip. Bright and early on T-day we headed out to the Farm. Dad and my brother returned around
Read More
Do I have to learn to gobble?
I confess I’m not a runner. I’m a sprinter if something big, mean and ugly is after me but running for fun? No. . So you might wonder why I signed up for a 5k Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving. I blame this on love for my daughter. She’s a great runner, doing half marathons plus she
Read More
Happy Birthday From Under The Bed
Our family had a bizarre birthday celebration. The day of your birthday would dawn with both excitement and dread. There you were innocently eating your breakfast Wheaties laughing at Charlie Brown and Snoopy when the entire family descended on you. “Grab the legs!” someone shouted as you kicked viciously upsetting the cereal bowl. “I’ve got
Read More