We went to North Carolina to spread my sister’s ashes and my daughter got married! She didn’t tell me of the plan until she was sure she and Reese would get a flight. The original flight was canceled last minute and she called to tell me that if they get to the airport the next […]
Anger, Distraction, Anger
I’ve been sitting with my anger for over a week now; the anger of the Dobbs decision. When the decision to overturn Roe v Wade was announced, I felt a visceral punch to the gut. As many have said – on social media, in articles, on blogs – even though we had been warned it […]
I’m Beautiful (when I’m doing yoga)
My Wednesday morning yoga class is a slow-flow. We are mostly elderly, retired with mornings free, and not looking for a power yoga workout. My goal, indeed, is modest. I want to stretch my under-used muscles, move in ways I wouldn’t normally move, and practice my balance. We meet outside. It’s warm but not yet […]
A Tour of Kissimmee
The Florida Trail Association offers not only hikes in the woods, but historical walks too. Last Sunday, I joined a group of history buffs for a walking tour of Kissimmee, FL, a small town south of Orlando. The origin of its name is debated but locals claim it to be Native American meaning “long water”. […]
Patty, the Bumblebee
My nieces and I had three days to empty out my recently deceased sister’s apartment. As we lugged garbage bag after garbage bag to the dumpster in the corner of the parking lot of her apartment building, we were repeatedly met by a large bumblebee that hovered over the walkway. It would scoot away as […]
The Card I Needed
Some days I’m content and grateful to be safe and alive. Others, I’m restless and impatient (but, hey, I’m still alive, I remind myself). Today is a restless day. The positivity rate is going up again and Joe says we need to do any errands as early in the morning as possible, when less people […]
My Sister’s Ashes
I only hope that if my sister was looking down on the events of yesterday, her sense of irony is still intact. We had come up to North Carolina from Florida to begin the process of settling her estate and to collect her cremated remains from the funeral home. All was going fairly smoothly. The […]
Don’t Say Gay in the Library
Few things can raise my ire, make my blood boil, my head explode, and challenge the precious equanimity I try so hard to cultivate than attempts at book banning. As a retired school librarian, I dealt with a few instances of parents protesting the availability of certain titles in my school library by following the […]
Heavenly Snow
I know that by this late in the winter season my northern friends are not in accordance with this sentiment, but I just spent a week in heavenly snow. It had been years since this Florida resident (me) had seen a real snowfall. A few years ago we spent Christmas in New York and woke […]
Be Kind
After maligning my mother’s cooking in my last post, I feel the need to write something complimentary about her. She was a well-loved elementary school teacher and now that I know the amount of energy – physical and psychic – it takes to be responsible for the education and overall well-being of 25 (+or -) […]
All She Wrote 