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Could Shakespeare Have Been Wrong?
Alberta Rose TattooI have never really been sure that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” If we called that flower ‘ammonia’ it would have unpleasant associations in our minds. It might...
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Not Nick Crews
Nick CrewsA fellow in the UK, Nick Crews, recently made some headlines by writing an email berating his adult children. You can read about it here:...
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Going on an Outing
Family on BikesOne of my children has outed me on Facebook. It was not exactly a secret, but at the same time I wasn’t quite yet ready for everyone in my world to know that I am the mother of a...
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Pronouns and Prefixes
Thumbing NoseIt would be easier to learn a complete new language than it is to learn to refer someone by a different pronoun. Calling Jamie “he” is turning out to be far more difficult than I would...
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Embracing Change
ChangesWhen women go through the change of life in menopause, everyone they know goes through it too. When your co-worker keeps adjusting the thermostat in the office, you suffer right along with them....
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I was wrong, and I’m sorry
I hear gossipThis week, I got it wrong. I wrote about an observation I made of someone else. It was not her best moment, and it was not my best blog post. Worse, though, I realized today that I was...
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Like a bad penny
Bad PennyAs some of you know and may have read here, I was once conned out of a lot of money by Isaac, who lives in Kenya. That was many years ago, and I have made several changes of email address and...
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Mad Enough to Quit
I QuitIs there something in the air? In recent weeks, I have become aware of six people who have become mad enough to quit their jobs or to retire earlier than they intended. That’s a surprising large...
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Go Ahead
Wheelchair in SnowI have just finished reading an excellent novel by Jojo Moyes called Me Before You. Since the story involves a caregiver and the man she cares for, it’s easy to assume that the title...
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The Perfect Ring
Engagement Ring(This post is in response to the Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty. It is a story in 50 words.) He saved for months, secretly borrowed a dress ring to get the size, and excitedly waited...
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Kind of Kin
Families at the ParkThe other day, someone was asking me about my family and if I had any grandchildren. At first I said “No.” Then I said, “Well, kind of…” I’m a common law step grandparent, and yes,...
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Depending On My Children
DependencyYesterday I was very frustrated with my computer’s storage of photographs. I use them as my screen saver, but I was repeatedly seeing pictures presented sideways (even though I know I had...
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You Know Who You Are
A Job Well DoneI recently read a Twitter post that purported to be thanking people, but instead of naming the individuals the twitterer said, “Too many people to thank. You know who you are.” That’s...
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Don’t Give Me That Look!
Eye Rolls That’s what my mother used to say to me when I would look annoyed, or belligerent, or disbelieving, or pretty much anything that questioned her judgement. “Don’t give me that look!” I...
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Not Suitable For Prime Time
Grief and Loss As the world mourns the death of Robin Williams, my thoughts turned to the anguish that his family and friends must be experiencing. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote about five stages of...
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Aunty-Social Media
Special Delivery My children are social media butterflies. They hover around a networking site for a while and then they fly off to check out some other blooming online communication opportunity....
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Food as Love
Apple Pies This year, I forgot all about Thanksgiving until a friend called to invite me for dinner at her house. I was very glad that she did because I really enjoy her company and because I then...
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Winning
I have only once been hit by a man, and it came as a huge shock. Until that point, all the men I knew had been gentle. They dealt with their anger and frustrations either by separating themselves from...
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Anonymity, Names, and Identity
Once, when I was a young mother living in a new place, I had to ask people to call me by my first name. My husband called me “Sweetheart” or “Love” and my children called me “Mom” or “Mommy.” I had...
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Lessons Learned
In August 2007 I was in a serious car accident that caused me to have fractured vertebrae in my neck and a long convalescence. After a few months, my friend Jean asked me what was the lesson that I had...
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