I turned over and stretched, enjoying my soft, warm nest. Outside my comforter, the room was cold. Gray tendrils of sleep-induced mental fog obliterated all the concerns I had gone to bed with several hours earlier. Nothing in the world needed my attention at that moment and I felt supreme peace. Then I heard the eerie sound. Turning to give Arnie a shake I hissed, “Wake up and listen. I’m hearing it again!” Continue reading
Blood of a Rabbit
A cold, wicked October wind whistled around the eves of my house. I pulled on a sweater and poured myself a cup of tea. The wind… I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It had been the first thing I heard upon waking. As I lay in the gray dawn half-awake and half-asleep, my inventive mind formed the fanciful notion that it’s high pitched moan was the collective voice of all the women that lived before me. They seemed to be calling, “Clean…clean your house…clean your house now…winter is coming!” Continue reading
The Embalope…Please!
Dolls, and doll clothing pulled from the darkest corners of the closet covered the varnished hardwood bedroom floor. My sisters, Mary and Betty, sat in a circle among the fascinating litter with two cousins. One of my cousins had something I wanted…a small purse with a comb, handkerchief, and mirror in it. Continue reading
Beauty Queen
I stared into the monitor screen and read what I had spent the last three hours writing. Nodding approval I commented, “Good…I like that” Still looking at the screen, my fingers began to tap out more words. Only one more sentence and my article would be finished. The keyboard under my hands seemed to groan when I leaned on it during a pause in my typing. Continue reading
Empty Nest
The room looked small. Boxes were stacked here and there nilly-willy through out. Arnie turned to look at the pile of futon bunk-bed-parts leaning against the wall out in the hallway. Beyond the bed parts sat boxes containing Tammie’s various computer components. He shook his head in disbelief. Continue reading
Pack Rat Fever
Grabbing my green-handled broom, I began to wield it with quick, no-nonsense, perfunctory thrusts. The corn bristles flew across my kitchen linoleum. The speed of my movements made a dust bunny go airborne. Startled out of my preoccupation with planning what to do next, I stopped and watched the fluff of dust float back to the floor. Continue reading
An Apple A Day
Thick gray clouds hung low over the fields and farmyards that my bus rumbled past. I leaned my head against the cold window glass, enjoying being alone with my thoughts. One of my favorite songs was playing on the radio, a man singing the words, “From a Jack…to a Queen,” The drama in his beautiful voice, and the emotions his words conjured up in my twelve year old mind made me sigh deeply. Continue reading
A REAL Mommy
The dark indentations in the ceiling tiles over my hospital bed were too regular, too predictable. They weren’t fun to look at like clouds drifting from one horizon to another. I continued staring at them anyway, trying to imagine the marks into faces, puppies or geometric shapes. Out in the hall I heard footsteps. Was someone coming into my room? I lifted my head and looked at the door. Continue reading
A Damaged Dress
One peek out of the dining room window told me what I wanted to know. The mailman had already come by. I saw fresh tire marks on the road along side the mailbox. Also, the red metal flag on the box was pushed down. That meant he had picked up my outgoing mail. I squinted and leaned closer to the window. Something appeared to be swinging back and forth under the mailbox. Perplexed, I wondered, “What IS that?” Continue reading
Indian Summer
I hastily ran a comb through my hair, picked up my purse and headed for the back door. Tammie was applying her make-up and didn’t have her shoes on. I chided, “Aren’t you ready to go YET?” We had several things planned for the day, so it was important to get an early start. Continue reading
