Monthly Archives: December 2021

Tucked within the curtains of twilight and the penumbra of sparkly Christmas decor, I couldn’t see the neighbor who greeted me last night. Yet I knew she was there—she beckoned me by name. Her ethereal voice tinkled with the tiny … Continue reading →

Ok, boys and girls. I just want to reassure you that Santa is well. I have been triple vaccinated and I gargle with bleach every morning just in case. Also, I have instituted a mask mandate here at the North … Continue reading →

The book changed my life forever.  I was forty-five when I read it for the first time, back in 1972, and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read it since.  A Jesuit by training, embarked upon a … Continue reading →

            Nobody asked me if I wanted to be dead. The universe didn’t host a game show where I got to pick what was behind door #1: an all-expense-paid vacation; door #2, a comfortable retirement; or door #3, DEAD. I … Continue reading →

My older Cousin Al was an interesting man. He was the James Bond of my youth. I assumed he was a top CIA agent since he often flew off to spend several weeks in Europe and the Middle East austensibly … Continue reading →

When he was nine or ten months old, our grandson made a new friend.  Although quite small at the time, he was nevertheless much bigger than his friend—a little brown teddy-bear, stuffed with cotton-fill, hand-crocheted by his Nana. Our little … Continue reading →

Everyone talks about the heart as though it’s more than a pump. My heart aches for you. I love you with all my heart. You broke my heart. Blah, blah, blah—the euphemisms go on forever, no matter how unrealistic they … Continue reading →

His left-hand griped the steering wheel. His right-hand chocked the leather gearshift knob. Tense body ached with excitement, now steering a course for the final adobe of the righteous. His being was consumed with shahada, giving himself to Allah. He … Continue reading →

“Damn!”, she cried as the mousetrap snapped shut on her finger. This was the second time this morning that she didn’t get her finger out in time as she emptied the traps. She had emptied 6 of them already, throwing … Continue reading →

Each tick commanded my attention in this silent room. Tick, tick, tick. The clock stood confidently on the mantle of the brick fireplace. The heartbeat of the clock was strong. With each click the second hand advanced  a notch with … Continue reading →

I had to chuckle to myself when I read the sign over the weathered door, New Beginnings for Old Things. This old thing was long past starting anything anew. An old chair can be reupholstered, a scratched table refinished, but … Continue reading →

There are four old clocks that have tolled the passing of my life for the better part of eight decades.  One stands in the entrance foyer to my home, one hangs on the wall in the den, and two sit … Continue reading →