A Blog? What Made You Do That?

I’m celebrating the first anniversary of my blog by giving the long answer to a question I have been asked by many friends and family members over the past ten months. You see, I’ve wanted to be a writer my entire life. And I realized recently that I am, and have been, just not in … Continue reading A Blog? What Made You Do That? →

Baby It’s Cold Outside

So here we are folks. It’s the second half of autumn in Michigan. I do like autumn, but truth be told, I find the first half more enjoyable. Halloween is over now, and this past week, we’ve had our first couple days of freezing weather and light snow. MOH is not happy about it, and … Continue reading Baby It’s Cold Outside →

Let the Music Play

Earlier this week my son and I attended the Annual Halloween Concert of the Dexter High School Orchestras. My son played cello for eight years, and it has now been that many years since he graduated. That's a very long time in school years, and although I thought we might run into someone we knew, … Continue reading Let the Music Play →

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Mill Creek Sports Center, Dexter MI When I worked and lived in Dexter, I frequently drove past Mill Creek Sports Center. And when I say frequently, I mean every day for twenty-nine years. Needless to say, the outside was a very familiar scene with the pontoon boats and stacks of Sea-Doos ready for sale. It … Continue reading Out of Sight, Out of Mind →

The Name Game

Shirley, Shirley bo burley banana fanana fo furley, Fee fi mo murley, Shirley Last weekend, on our girl’s getaway, someone asked the question, ‘Did you like your name when you were a kid?’ My nieces, Jennifer and Gina, admitted they did not, but for different reasons. “There were literally six other Jennifers in my elementary … Continue reading The Name Game →

Girls Weekend – A Journey In Progress

Girls Weekend - June 26, 1999 Mom, my sister and her daughter, and I spent the weekend in Saugatuck, Michigan. Away from the stresses of home, work, and the responsibilities of caring for others, we relaxed in each other’s company. We hit the local shops, swam in the motel pool, and took turns reading aloud … Continue reading Girls Weekend – A Journey In Progress →

Sunday – Destination Unknown

We’ve had some hectic weekends for the past month or so, but this morning found both MOH and me home on a Sunday morning with no particular plans. We cooked pumpkin pancakes together and relaxed over coffee. It would have been easy to kick back and spend the day as a couple of couch potatoes. … Continue reading Sunday – Destination Unknown →

Home Is Where The Heart Is

You can't go home again. The expression is borne from the title of a Thomas Wolffe novel, meaning if you try to return to a place you remember from the past, it won't be the same as you remember it. I feel like this saying has a large breadth of application... or else I’ve become … Continue reading Home Is Where The Heart Is →

All In The Family

My mom grew up in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan (the Soo), one of eight children in an Italian/American family. My grandma, a young widow with three children, married my grandpa, a widower with three children. They then had my mom and my Aunt M. I used to tell my elementary school friends, “It’s like the … Continue reading All In The Family →

The Purge Continues

The other day at work, a coworker asked me, “Are you still doing that purge thing?” Why, yes. Yes, I am. For those of you that are new to my party, I have been trying to reduce the number/volume of my material possessions since the first of the year. Reduce. De-clutter. Simplify. Purge. It’s a … Continue reading The Purge Continues →