Life
Fear
“I’m scared.” Her eyes opened wide and the tears, which had been perched on the edge of her lower lid, made their escape. Her flushed cheeks glistened with the wetness. I rubbed her back, my hand making slow circles against her cotton shirt. “I know you are,” I said. “But it will pass.” I stopped…
Read MoreAdjusting My Aim
We have five four-legged animals who live with us. As much as I love them, they do require some maintenance. We buy good food and litter for the cats, as well as good food and toys for the dog. We have veterinarian costs to think about, too. I’ve been thinking lately that these friends of…
Read MoreHigher Plane
Back in December 2015, I wrote a post for Literary Mama’s After Page One Blog about writing and healing. I end the piece with, So I held to the singular goal of blogging each day. I put a few words down some days, many words other days, and as I did so, the weight of…
Read MoreOriginal Plan
This past Wednesday was my last day of school until the fall semester. Despite a bad cold, I managed to walk into each of my classes, hand out the comprehensive exam, and sit upright until all students had turned the tests in. I even graded the exams and put the scores into the computer that…
Read MorePizza Math
Pizza and math are common topics of conversation in this household. As many of you know, two of the inhabitants in this house live, eat, and breathe math. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate math more than I used to, so while I don’t live, eat, and breathe it, I do manage to focus…
Read MoreDear Student, XII
Dear Student, It’s a rare occasion that I address a student who is not mine, and yet, today, I find myself doing so. I don’t know who you are or what classes you are taking this semester. I don’t know if you go to school part-time or full-time or if you have a job, a…
Read MoreSweet Smell
Bath and Body Works website describes their Sweet Pea fragrance as: “An award winning mix of juicy raspberries and pear kissed by soft pink petals.” It’s not the sort of aroma to which I am normally drawn, but due to the lovely pink bottles in which the entire Sweet Pea line comes in (shower gel,…
Read MoreShe Who Hesitates Is Lost
My dad used to be a walking Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. Really. I vividly remember him pulling out a quote when the time was appropriate (and sometimes not so appropriate). Instead of telling us something from the heart, he’d use a quote to convey his meaning. I’m not trying to be judgmental when I say that…
Read MoreInto the Pensieve, X
Mom moved away from her family in 1973, so the phone served as an important life line for her. I don’t remember her speaking to acquaintances much, but I do remember tripping over the long, winding cord of the phone hanging between the wall and the floor as Mom spoke to her sisters. Those calls…
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