Situational Extrovert
My introvert inclination toward a social event involving more than a few friends is to search for a polite excuse. I don’t dislike people. I just find large numbers of them gathered in one place somewhat overwhelming. This is especially true when I don’t know most of them. My store of casual chit-chat is rapidly depleted […]
Continue readingThis One’s For You, Aunt Helen
The holidays are a natural time for looking back, but I was struck today by how the unremarkable objects of everyday life can stir a flood of memories any day of the year. Whenever I make a cup of tea and drop in an ice cube to bring it to drinkable temperature, I think of […]
Continue readingA Secret Order
My name is Susan, and I have a very messy desk. I’m hoping that out there is a chorus of people shouting “Hi, Susan,” in recognition, solidarity, and non-judgment. Though I’m sure some looking at the actual, real-life photo of my desk that accompanies this post are recoiling in horror. The inability to maintain workspace […]
Continue readingDangerous Waters Prologue
Bryan Crawford steps from his warm house into the cold air of a March night. He is heading to his outdoor sauna, as he does every Friday evening of the year. The light rain that hits his face makes him shiver. He’s glad his sister Rhonda isn’t here. She’d be nagging him to wear a […]
Continue readingBob’s Your Uncle
Probably all families have a store of catch phrases—familiar “in house” sayings that serve as shorthand for getting a point across, or calling up a common memory. Some are universal, like “Don’t make me come up there,” or, “Do you want me to stop the car?“ But others are particular to an individual family’s experience. My […]
Continue readingThe Lightning or the Lightning Bug
I’ve written on the topic before, but it’s an endless source of amusement to me, so I’m sharing some additions to my husband Gary’s unique take on the English language. I like words, some just for the way they sound, rolling off your tongue. I like others for the nuances and delicate layers of […]
Continue readingSomething Will Turn Up
I’ve been thinking about a couple of favorite, though very diverse, literary characters in relation to my own outlook on life—Eeyore and Mr. Micawber. Eeyore, as you probably recall, is the donkey from Winnie-the-Pooh, who is prone to a gloomy take on things. He’s the polar opposite of the optimistic Mr. Micawber from Charles Dickens’ […]
Continue readingYou’re Such a Fred
May is my dad’s birthday month, and I’ve been thinking about him a lot. He’s been gone for almost 15 years and I still miss him every day. Dad had many wonderful qualities, among them genuine kindness, keen intelligence, and a deep well of tolerance for diverse ideas and people. He also had a sense […]
Continue readingTo Seek … and Not to Yield
On my tenth birthday, my mother lit the candles on my cake and said, “Now you’re in double numbers. Now the years will go by fast.” It seemed such an odd thing to say. It had taken me so long to get to ten, how could time possibly begin to go faster? And yet it […]
Continue readingReaders and Writers
For me, and I think for many authors, one of the most fun things about writing is reader engagement. That can come in the form of a review, a response to a blog post, or a comment on social media. But my favorite connection with readers comes from the emails I receive. Sometimes the notes […]
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