My reason for giving
When Jeff and I were first married, we barely had two cents to rub together. Donating to a charity meant dropping one or two quarters into the Salvation Army kettle at Christmastime. Once the...
My blog posts
The Battle of the Tin Monster
Growing up, I did not want an artificial Christmas tree. Neither did my sisters or my father. My mother did. So, of course, we got a fake tree. This battle was fought in the...
Contentment is my guiding light this holiday season
I’m setting the table for two this Thanksgiving, just myself and Jeff. And we are fine with that. Our youngest son will be hosting dinner with his new bride’s family in their home out...
If I ever I would leave Michigan, it couldn’t be in autumn
Every once in a while, Jeff and I ponder where we can move now that we have retired, and the kids are all grown and living their lives. We could live anywhere. Florida, Arizona,...
There’s a witch in the family…and it’s not me!
It’s Hocus Pocus season! Time for reveling in witches, talking cats, and spooky spells. This year, though, I want to honor the real people caught up in the Salem Witch Trials because one of...
Lessons from a big sister last a lifetime
In the first few hours after I learned that my older sister Mary Kay died, I wondered how I would deal with a life where I couldn’t speak to her again. We lived hundreds...
Parties and pandemics don’t mix
I have a Tupperware problem. And by Tupperware, I mean Tupperware, not generic plastic storage containers. I mean the real stuff. The pieces with names: Fix ‘N Mix, Modular Mates, Bell Tumblers, Snack-Stors. Three...
Put down that pumpkin spice latte!
Most people view Labor Day as the end of summer, but that never worked for me. In the olden days, buying school supplies marked the end of summer: the sharp smell of a sharpened...
Tell me you love me without saying you love me
Forty-three years ago yesterday, I awoke to the threat of rain on my wedding day. You can work your fingers to the bone planning for your special day, but there is always something that...
