Month: March 2023

Why Do We Hide Mental Issues in America?

Posted in Asperger's, autism, Depression, epilepsy, exercise, memoir, mental disorder, mental health, mental illness, movie, Netflix, OCD, schizophrenia, weight-bearing exerciseLeave a comment

(re-run) It has come to my attention that if a person tells you that he has Asperger’s* and you tell another person that the guy has Asperger’s, that is a bad thing. We all know that If the guy had a broken leg or a bad heart, and you tell others of those things, it’s… Continue reading Why Do We Hide Mental Issues in America?

Falling, Falling, Falling

Posted in aging, broken bones, California, coffee, dancing, dog walks, dogs, endocrinologist, falling, humor, memoir, ocean, osteoporosis, scars, seniors, thrift storeLeave a comment

The first time it happened, one of my shoelaces was untied. I stepped on it with my other shoe, then picked up my foot in the untied shoe and fell over.  I was going over a berm along a busy street to get to  – you guessed it – a thrift store. That was a… Continue reading Falling, Falling, Falling

The Story of Dr. Seuss

Posted in author, biography, books, Caldecott Honor, children, children's books, Dick and Jane, divorce, Dr. Seuss, Pulitzer Prize, Random House, The Cat in the HatLeave a comment

(re-run) I just finished a 430-page biography about Theodor Geisel.  You might know him better as Dr. Seuss (his mother’s maiden name). When I chose the book to review, I expected a children’s biography, not an in-depth  tome that chronicled his life, year by year, from birth to death at age 87. He had two… Continue reading The Story of Dr. Seuss

How my Bug Collection Changed a Generation

Posted in best, entymology, firsts, humor, insects, Iowa, junior high school, last, memoir, middle school, Midwestern, mouse, nature, parenting, relationships, science, scientist, worstLeave a comment

When my new science teacher announced on the first day of 7th grade that no one would get an A in his class if they didn’t make an insect collection, I was like, “NOOOOOOOO! I hate bugs!” My mother hated bugs. Her mother hated bugs. They hated mice, snakes, and dog poop, too. I walked… Continue reading How my Bug Collection Changed a Generation

Mac and Cheese, a Spicy Story

Posted in blaming, cooking, groceries, grocery store, humor, mac and cheese, memoir, moving, neighbors, newspaper, spicesLeave a comment

After nearly a week of no heat in my house, I finally feel warm enough to write a story, a spicy one, at that. This morning I made my usual run (with wet hair) to the grocery store for the Sunday Chronicle. But alas, there were none. I popped into the CVS next door and… Continue reading Mac and Cheese, a Spicy Story

Two Bird Baths, One Fountain

Posted in birds, cats, dogs, gardening, humor, insects, memoir, nature, relationships, treesLeave a comment

I love my yard. When I first bought my fixer house on a fixer third acre, the yard was full of rocks and rose bushes. Now it has trees, plants, bushes, flag stone, one fountain and two bird baths. The fountain is an advertisement to creatures near and far to come into my fenced yard.… Continue reading Two Bird Baths, One Fountain