The old house, built in 1895, has hugged North Rogers Street from days of horses to days of horse-powered engines. As the story goes, Granddad purchased the old house by merely signing his name on a piece of paper. He added indoor plumbing and a garage, remodeled the inside, and replaced the roof—a roof that […]
As a child, I thought Mother’s red and cream sewing basket was a treasure chest waiting to be explored. When I thought she wasn’t looking, I’d sneak into her bedroom and remove the basket from its hiding place atop her closet shelf. “Open Sesame!” I’d say, lifting the lid, revealing a trove of sewing notions. […]
After receiving Granny’s vintage recipe box, Mother and I pored over its contents—disorganized and jumbled recipe cards, photos, mementos, and handwritten notes. Although disorganized, they were a road map of Granny’s life—a life that had survived two world wars, a pandemic, and the Depression. I closed my eyes and imagined Granny when she was a […]
I recently caught my foot on a crack in the sidewalk, instantly plunging toward the ground. I broke my fall using my right arm and landed hard on the concrete. Pain shot through my right shoulder and never subsided, forcing me to see an orthopedic specialist. “I believe you have a torn rotator cuff,” she […]
I spent much of my girlhood with my Aunt Betty, who went to work early every morning. “Don’t go outside until I get home,” she emphatically said, leaving me alone to while away the hours as best I could. She didn’t own a television, so I occupied myself reading her books and magazines, playing her […]
The evening news lulls me into a nightmarish sleep. In the distance storm clouds are brewing. I hear the rolling thunder of division and dissonance. On the horizon I see lightning bolts igniting fiery hatred. The storm rolls in. Muscular columns of darkened clouds and densely pelting rain march in indomitable columns across the landscape […]
