I used to pride myself on being such a practical, organized witch. Since I started this blog almost one year ago, I have always looked forward to sitting down at my desk to write to you. I still do.
After pouring myself a hot, strong, and black cup of coffee, I would usually light a long-awaited [...]
When we are young, we readily absorb the words of our teachers. Like little sponges, we soak up the lessons of those who we spend the majority of our time with. Of course, parents will always have the first crack at a child’s earthly impressions, but it is often the instructions offered by our school [...]
My brother Lou always says that there is never a problem knowing where our girls are playing. The exact location is easily detected by simply listening for the source of the screaming.
It is a fool-proof system, really. Wherever our young female charges are gathered together, there are sure to be some high-pitched verbal cues within [...]
The long summer days stretch before me as I marvel at this precious ‘down’ time.
Durwood’s current project keeps him away from the house for days at a time, and the kids are busy, too. Either away at camp, working diligently at their summer jobs, or house-sitting for friends, the tell-tale signs of their presence are [...]
Years of influence have a numbing effect on those of us who have resided on the planet longer. Through a number of factors that cannot be avoided, the spirit of invincibility becomes hidden underneath layers of heeded warnings.
Besides the advice delivered by those who want to protect us from harm, there are additional cautionary lessons [...]
Upon further review, Aunt Jillian Olive Bean has retracted her formal resignation from child care. I feel quite certain that my obligation to my nephew is not complete.
In a recent post titled “The End of an Era,” I described the recent events surrounding my decision to retire from watching my sister’s kids. Evie is a [...]
When it comes to ritualistic Catholic aerobics, any length of time spent away from church becomes irrelevant. After encountering what may be a brief period of uncertainty, a well-trained former Catholic can resume the proper procedure regarding when to sit, stand, kneel, repeat the words in a congregation-wide reply, and recite at least the last [...]
Could it be that an entire school year has gone by since Jim left for college? Now that it is time to make the drive up north to bring Jim home for the summer, I have become acutely aware of the elegant ebb and flow of our time-space continuum.
Time has an oddly unique perspective for [...]
Normally, I love this time of the evening. It is my highly anticipated relaxation time on the front porch after a long and busy day. I make a tall glass of iced tea, light a cigarette, and take in the scenery. The air begins to cool ever so slightly, and rays from the setting sun [...]
When I was a young child, I loved to watch television shows like The Jetsons and Lost In Space. This was the height of science fiction during the 1960’s.
In real life, our meals were not being prepared by robots, and we were not able to communicate with people via small television screens. Microwaves were fairly [...]
