Susan

My Extra Hour on Fall-back Sunday

November 4, 2024November 3, 2024 Posted in cleaning, Daylight Savings, election, Facebook, laundry, laundry room, memoir, pantry, TupperwareLeave a comment

Most people used their extra hour when Daylight Savings ends to sleep or go to breakfast or take a hike. I used mine to . . . . . . clean out the pantry. My pantry is really my old laundry room/closet. It wasn’t big enough to hang up anything to dry. It has shelving… Continue reading My Extra Hour on Fall-back Sunday

The Navajo in the Room

November 3, 2024November 2, 2024 Posted in Abraham Lincoln, aunt, Christmas, college professor, cousins, German, grandma, grandpa, grandparents, Iowa, multicultural, Native Americans, Navajo, New Mexico, racism, Shiprock College, Spanish, Thanksgiving, uncle, World War IILeave a comment

My mother’s brother was a college professor at Shiprock College (now renamed Diné College) in New Mexico. He met and married my aunt Grace, a Navajo woman. This was exciting news in my all-white Iowa family. Uncle Jim was coming to town with his new bride. Uncle Jim was tall and slim, and had a… Continue reading The Navajo in the Room

A Tale of Two Trees

November 2, 2024November 1, 2024 Posted in apples, asphalt, children, dogs, greenbelt, HOA, Home Owners' Association, memoir, park, playground, shade trees, treesLeave a comment

(re-run) Eleven years ago, I moved into my cozy house next to a park. When I hear the squeaky swings I know that someone is in the greenbelt. My dogs run to the park to play ball or go for a walk. They always head right once out the front door, never left. They know… Continue reading A Tale of Two Trees

Homecoming Hopes

October 29, 2024October 28, 2024 Posted in dancing, dating, firsts, fraternity, high school, Homecoming, October, puppy love, relationshipsLeave a comment

(re-run) Marci was voted to be on Homecoming Court by her senior class. With 107 girls, she was one of just five who made it. Marci was walking on clouds until she realized she had no date — no steady boyfriend. She couldn’t go alone. What was she going to do? Could she refuse? The… Continue reading Homecoming Hopes

A Memorial and a Party

October 28, 2024October 29, 2024 Posted in California, costumes, drinking, election, Halloween, humor, Meet-up, memoir, memorial service, October, party, South Dakota, Sweden, thrift store, World War IILeave a comment

I got invited to a memorial service for a woman who lived to be 99. It’s hard to be sad when someone has had such a good long life. We were encouraged to wear hats since the woman loved hats. I spoke into the mike about my friend from my antique shop days (she covered… Continue reading A Memorial and a Party

Maybe, Maybe Not

October 27, 2024October 26, 2024 Posted in confidence, dating, Depression, education, Elite Singles, hiking, introvert, library, Masters' degree, meet and greet, Meet-up, teacherLeave a comment

(re-run) Sabrina had a master’s degree and a professional job. She went online to meet a guy with an equal education. She tried a site called Elite Singles. She found Curtis, and they talked on the phone a few times. They decided to get together for a meet and greet. Curtis had been a teacher.… Continue reading Maybe, Maybe Not

So Many Phone Calls

October 24, 2024October 23, 2024 Posted in cell phone, email, Facebook, memoir, phone, phone calls, textingLeave a comment

I can go a week with no phone calls — yes, lots of texts, Facebook messages and emails, but no actual calls. Today made up for that. Call # 1 – my friend in Italy this morning calling me back. Call # 2 — my co-author about a reviewer problem. Call # 3 – my… Continue reading So Many Phone Calls

Abortion, High School Pregnancies and Memories

October 23, 2024October 22, 2024 Posted in abortion, adopting, cheerleading, fooling around, girl crush, high school, memoir, memory, PE, pregnancy, pregnant, reputation, teen pregnancy, teens1 Comment

(re-run) It amazes me how one memory leads to the next and so on and so forth. Our brains are a beehive of memories, each one stashed in its own little honey-comb hexagon that doesn’t break out until something triggers it. Today it was talk of abortion with a friend and how she told of… Continue reading Abortion, High School Pregnancies and Memories

My Life in Dogs

October 22, 2024October 21, 2024 Posted in adopting, animal rescue, college, dogs, farm, farm house, memoir, Nebraska, Omaha, pet, roommate, sleepover, small town, Spanish, superintendent, teachingLeave a comment

(re-run) It was a dogless childhood for me, until I was thirteen. I had asked. My sisters had asked. It wasn’t until our younger brother came home from school and said that somebody in his third-grade class was giving away a perfectly good dog and could he keep it? It happened so fast. I was… Continue reading My Life in Dogs

Loved the House, Not the Marriage

October 20, 2024October 19, 2024 Posted in bathroom, children, curtains, divorce, house, marriage, memoir, remodel, saver, stars1 Comment

I donated a big bag of curtains this week. I’d been saving the curtains from each of the last three houses I’ve lived in, here in California, all in the same town as my current house. Who has lived in four houses in one town? Me. The first house was the starter home for a… Continue reading Loved the House, Not the Marriage