Monday, Monday

I love Mondays. That’s kind of un-American, isn’t it?  Like saying I don’t much like fireworks–also true.  But back to Mondays.  We’re all supposed to prefer weekends to weekdays because weekends are the times dedicated to fun fun fun. You know–long hillside hikes, and parties, a trip to the art museum, and parties, a day

Lost and Found in Santa Monica

Two dauntless dames from Vassar’s Class of ‘54 plan to meet for lunch in Santa Monica. This should be easy, except Alumna Number One lives several miles down the coast and rarely drives her grey Camry into the metropolis of which Santa Monica is a part. She looks up the address on Google and memorizes

The Day the Country Store Catalog Arrived…

The catalog from the Vermont Country Store arrived in the mail today. Immediately, I’m plunged into

Parking Lot Philosopher

I put my groceries in my car trunk, (all except the bag of low sodium popcorn) and settled myself into the front seat of my car. Time to drive home, but I didn’t feel like it. Home meant cleaning chores, laundry, and some vigorous digging in the garden. I’d rather stay here. It didn’t hurt

What’s in a Word?

What’s in a Word? When my cousin Ruth phoned, I said, “You were nice to call. I bet you remembered this is the day my mother died. “ “Alice,” she said, and I could just see her primming her lips, “nobody says died any more. You really should say

WHO SCARED THE PANTS OFF PARENTS?

I could have been arrested. Some might say I should have been. But thanks to the passage of time, I can continue leading my reckless life while the children I “endangered” have safely reached adulthood. Today parents like me are being arrested for letting children play in parks unsupervised. I picture my face on a

A Christmas Meander

The Christmas I was three My mother held a woolly bundle in her arms. “It’s what you wanted”, she said smiling. “A kitten!” I yelled, all delight. But it was just my brother Pierce.

Saving Pennies

“A penny saved is a penny earned.” That’s what Grandma said every time she slipped me some coins. I had no idea what she was talking about. For me having pennies in my pocket meant a trip to the candy store to buy wax lips or Tootsie Rolls. But now that Grandma’s gone, her sayings

A Very Scary Halloween Story

When my son was in first grade, he was the smallest kid in the class. So when a bigger boy invited him to go trick or treating chaperoned by parents, I said yes, glad Steve was making friends at school. Steve wanted to be a pirate. I can’t sew a stitch, but I rustled up

Faith Fox —- A book review

In the novel Faith Fox, Jane Gardam, a well regarded British writer, demonstrates a thorough understanding of the many strands that make up today’s Britain. There are ragged remnants of the upper classes and people of middle age who consider themselves middle class, most of them eccentric and all quite different one from another. There