Moon Over Lafayette

Trudy worked at an engineering firm. Joe was the visiting copy machine repair man, or as her office mates called him, the Xerox guy. One day Trudy had to make copies. Joe was at the machine, repairing away. “Oh,” she said. “No copies for me!” “Hey there,” Joe said. “We should catch dinner sometime.” “Okay.”… Continue reading Moon Over Lafayette

The Blond-tourage

(re-run) Every woman over fifty gets the same advice from her hairdresser — to lighten up her hair. As our skin fades and our looks do, too, we need brighter lipstick, sparkly-er clothing and blonder locks to stay looking as young as we can. My apologies to women of color; this may not apply to… Continue reading The Blond-tourage

Virtual Tip Jar Fail

I love live music, and the pandemic has made it harder to find. Some of the local bands have gone online, putting out their virtual tip jar while they play for an hour or two. Sometimes they are sponsored by a business, sometimes they do it from their apartments. I love the Beatles, so when… Continue reading Virtual Tip Jar Fail

The Uses for a Nine Year Old

My Girl Friday (who works for me on Mondays) has a daughter, who sometimes comes along with her to work. Now that her daughter is nine, she is useful in many ways. 1. She entertains my dogs. 2. She entertains my sister, giving her someone to watch. 3. She brings music into the house, since… Continue reading The Uses for a Nine Year Old

The Gun at Grandma’s House

(re-run) The thing was cold, black, and heavy. Even though I was just a kid, maybe nine or ten, I knew a gun when I saw it. I’d been jumping on Grandma Nellie’s bed. The pillow had fallen on the floor. The gun was under the pillow. I put everything back the way I found… Continue reading The Gun at Grandma’s House

O is for Old Words with New Meanings

As a word lover, I noticed yesterday that some words change their meanings over time. Like dude. It used to mean a gussied-up cowboy or ranch hand. Now it means wow or c’mon or I hear you or unbelievable. As I made a list of words with changed meanings I realized many of them apply… Continue reading O is for Old Words with New Meanings

Just for the Halibut

(re-run) Father’s Day has come and gone. I saw many black and white photos of men on Facebook, people my age honoring their deceased dads. I didn’t have a good photo of Dad to post, just silly ones or childhood ones. It never occurred to me 34 years ago that I would someday want a… Continue reading Just for the Halibut

Q is for Quirky

(re-run) When I was in high school and bought some of my clothes at the DAV thrift store, they called me quirky. When I made a cool pair of bell bottom jeans out of my dad’s old work pants, they called me quirky, but they also asked me where I got them. When I broke… Continue reading Q is for Quirky

R is for Retro

(re-run) Everything old is new again.  Jumpsuits from the 70’s and 80’s are back.  I know this because we are singing a Captain and Tennille song in my jazz group, and solid-colored jumpsuits are the suggested attire. I went online to see if Macy’s had any. They have a whole department of them! Ponchos were… Continue reading R is for Retro

S is for Scrolling (Surfing)

(re-run) It used to be that when I had a few minutes of free time, I’d try to get something done, like work on  a story, clean a drawer, or do some squats. Oh, I could’ve written about squats since it starts with an S. But what can you say? Bend down, butt out. Stand… Continue reading S is for Scrolling (Surfing)

Murray, the Naughty Lab

(re-run) Mary was a hair dresser and agreed to dog-and-house sit while one of her clients went to Cancun for a week. She was in charge of a ninety-pound chocolate lab named Murray. Cindy instructed Mary to walk Murray a couple times a day since he was only one and still had puppy energy. She… Continue reading Murray, the Naughty Lab

Scary Pit Bull Encounter

(re-run) It was a beautiful winter day that Sunday morning. I took the greyhound rescue dog for a walk in the crisp air while my hubby stayed home with the three children. I walked uphill from my court and took Virginia Lane to Virginia Court, down to the creek. I took the bridge across it… Continue reading Scary Pit Bull Encounter