Category: mom

Uncle Frank and the Jar of Coins

Posted in 4th of July, antique, California, carnival, cats, cousins, Des Moines, grandfather clock, memoir, mom, money, uncleLeave a comment

I grew up with three uncles, one in Colorado, another on the other side of the state, and one near my home town in Des Moines, Iowa. Uncle Frank was older than the other uncles, but since his daughter, Nina, was my age, I hardly noticed.  He was married to my grandma’s younger sister.  They… Continue reading Uncle Frank and the Jar of Coins

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

(re-run) 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… Continue reading A Girl, A Creek, and an Hour to Spare

The Day Grandma Got Woke

Posted in 13th, Black Lives Matter, California, celebrities, documentary, Ellen, Emmett Till, George Floyd, get woke, history books, Iowa, Jewish, memoir, mom, racist, sister, Trail of Tears, White Fragility2 Comments

My mom loves to watch Ellen. It’s usually fun and games, with hunky guys and Ellen playing tricks on her guests and staff. She rounds out the hour with lesbian jokes, a musical performance by some obscure band, and Ellen surprising some needy but giving person with $10,000 in cash. Then the death of George… Continue reading The Day Grandma Got Woke

Prairie Girl in the Woods

Posted in aging, birdfeeder, California, Iowa, Meals on Wheels, memoir, mom, moon, mothers, prairie, redwoods, relationships, relatives, Santa Cruz, sister, sky, sunset, TV dinners, UncategorizedLeave a comment

My mother grew up in Iowa and lived there for 88 years.  Then she moved in with my younger sister and her hubby in the Santa Cruz mountains in California. It’s dark in the redwood forest, especially in the winter.  Mom can’t see the sky, which is hard when you’ve looked at the sky every… Continue reading Prairie Girl in the Woods

Butt Dials and Other My-Bads

Posted in California, cell phones, humor, memoir, mom, parenting, phone numbers, relationships, seniors, technology, writersLeave a comment

(re-run) I had lunch with my son yesterday. We were trying to figure out why I’d used up all my storage on my cell phone. He took a look, handed back my phone, and watched me put it in my pocket. “You need to hit the button on the side and turn off your screen,”… Continue reading Butt Dials and Other My-Bads

Queen Victoria, the Cat

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

(re-run) 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… Continue reading Queen Victoria, the Cat

Memphis Sugar Mama

Posted in car salesman, college, dating, flirting, France, humor, liquor store, Memphis, mom, pick-up lines, relationships, romance, sugar mamaLeave a comment

(re-run) After Robert’s family came to America, Robert went to college in Memphis. He met an older woman, Devon, in a liquor store. She had on a mink jacket and asked him out right there amongst the bottles of high-end scotches. She looked good for her age. She drove a Cadillac since her daddy had… Continue reading Memphis Sugar Mama