Category: mom

A Girl, A Creek, and an Hour to Spare

Posted in best, board and care, California, cell phone, dogs, Facebook, humor, memoir, mom, nature, nine year old, relationships, treesLeave a comment

When my worker woman showed up Monday morning after having been gone for a two-week long vacation, I had a long list of to–do’s for her. I answered the door and found her nine year old daughter standing next to her. I said hello and went over the list with Kelly. I left to go… Continue reading A Girl, A Creek, and an Hour to Spare

Queen Victoria, the Cat

Posted in animal adoption, California, cats, helpful strangers, humor, mom, Nashville, relationships, survival, worstLeave a comment

Renee, the artist, already had three cats. She wasn’t looking for another. So when her daughter-in-law called and said, “Mom, you need to adopt this cat,” Renee was thinking, No way, Renee. But then she heard the kitty’s story, and she had to reconsider. Renee’s son Brian and his wife were moving to Tennessee from… Continue reading Queen Victoria, the Cat

Street Dance

Posted in best, California, dancing, dogs, friends, hiking, humor, memoir, Midwestern, mom, music, outdoors, relationships, singing, summerLeave a comment

After hiking six miles with the senior group called DASH, which does not dash at all, but rather hikes slowly through the woods with plenty of stops for bathroom breaks, snack breaks, or count-up-and-regroup breaks, I was too pooped to go out dancing. But my friends were going, it was close (just one town up… Continue reading Street Dance

The Friend Date

Posted in best, California, dancing, firsts, friends, house party, humor, memoir, Millennials, mom, music, parking lot, relationships, sisterLeave a comment

He said he had a girlfriend but that she didn’t like to dance. Here he was, out dancing again. He loved to talk up a good game with the ladies, but would he ever act on it? He’d been with the same woman for over twenty years. He had insisted that I take his phone… Continue reading The Friend Date

Judging from the Trends

Posted in author, best, books, California, children, children's books, dinosaurs, humor, memoir, mom, relationships, trends, worstLeave a comment

I was asked to judge a picture book contest. I am a picture book author of 29 books and also a mom of past picture-book fans. Picture books are books with both words and art, usually 28 to 64 pages, and usually for young children. The gift book people have figured out how to put… Continue reading Judging from the Trends

Worst Husband Ever

Posted in appendicitis, appendix, Boston, children, family, funeral, Grateful Dead, hospital, humor, husband, marijuana, mom, New Jersey, relationships, worstLeave a comment

PK lived in Jersey when her friend’s mum was terminally ill in Boston. When her friend called to say her mother had died, PK woke up feeling bad but thought it was the heat. She wanted to go to the funeral and surprise her friend. She loaded up her three-year-old daughter and took off for… Continue reading Worst Husband Ever

Royals

Posted in fame, humor, Iowa, marriage, memoir, Midwestern, military, mom, political correctness, Princess Diana, queen, relationships, royals, wedding2 Comments

Today’s the day (technically tomorrow), when a prince marries an American! A celebrity! A person of mixed race! The world has gone gaga for a royal wedding. I am not that much into all things British, but I do like the family Windsor. After all, Prince William married my distant cousin, Kate. Yes, my maiden… Continue reading Royals