I thought it would be a quiet weekend. It was. A little too quiet. My son seemed off. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Though he had friends over one evening, there were two nights in a row when he was up at strange hours, walking around. Not his usual behavior. But with adolescents, […]
Is “reputation” old hat?
Are you about getting it done, or how well you get it done? Do you dash off memos, emails, or work product of other sorts, with only a quick look – if that? Do you insist on being proud of whatever you produce and put your name to? Quality, quality, quality The other day I […]
News
Yesterday I was doing some editing and talking on the phone, when I was told to look at the news. A man had taken hostages at the Discovery Channel just outside of Washington, DC. There was a gun, and possibly explosives. I got off the phone. I put on CNN. I watched, and then had […]
The life behind the face
I am the face of the aftermath of divorce, the aftermath of layoff, the aftermath of defeat. I am the face of invisible illness, of piercing isolation, of daily hide-and-seek. Would you know me if you saw me? I am your neighbor, your colleague, your sister; I am the woman who yells at the cashier […]
500 Bottles of Beer on the Wall. . . Or is that 99?
Can’t you just hear the music? That grating, endless round we sang as kids, that we used to purposely irritate each other as teens, and again in college? Hell, I don’t even like beer, but I can picture everything from pale ale to dark lager as soon as I catch a measure of that tune. […]
Growth
“It’s just a tree,” I tell myself. But each day as I stare at it, poke at the dirt, stubbornly water the skeletal form, I know it’s more than a tree. It’s a connective thread – history holding the past to the present, and the present to the possibility of a future. It is hope. […]
Coffee stains, aches and pains, when it rains. . .
Don’t cry over spilled milk, right? What about coffee? What if it’s the last of the coffee in the house, you had a terrible night’s sleep, and you desperately need the caffeine, the comforting heat of the cup, the aroma, the rich taste? What if it spills all over papers, electronics, and more? Then can […]
Why I burned the popcorn
It’s a ghastly smell. Far worse than bread charred in the toaster. Burnt popcorn. And I wanted that popcorn for breakfast! Of course, it was nearly six in the evening when I tossed the package carelessly into the microwave. Yes, I’m running a little late today. Ten hours late to be exact. It’s been a […]
Do we choose our passions?
The other evening’s episode of Work of Art has been rolling around in my mind since I saw it. And for more reasons than trying to figure out what would make the series both entertaining (ratings, ratings, ratings – to keep it on the air) and more reasonable. Let’s face it – (so-called) fine artists […]
Looking forward
I am looking forward to having food in my fridge and a filled pantry. It’s been nine days since I last shopped; I’m down to one Lean Cuisine, one frozen pork chop, four microwaveable soups, and two yogurts long past their expiration dates. I am not looking forward to visiting the supermarket this morning. It […]