The Gun at Grandma’s House

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 it… Continue reading The Gun at Grandma’s House

Build Me Up, Buttercup

There’s a Geico commercial for motorcycle insurance that starts out with the introduction to one of my favorite songs – Build Me Up, Buttercup. Of course, I have to sing along. Why do you . . . build me up, buttercup baby, just to let me down, and mess me around . . . This… Continue reading Build Me Up, Buttercup

Best Ed Sullivan Show Ever

(re-run) Carol grew up in in Pueblo, Colorado, which was called the little Pittsburg of the West. Her dad was a steelworker. Her mom was a lab tech phlebotomist at the hospital. Whenever one of the kids got sick, her mom would bring home a hypodermic needle in her purse to draw some blood. “To… Continue reading Best Ed Sullivan Show Ever

The Day Grandma Got Woke

(re-run) My mom loved to watch Ellen. It’s usually fun and games, with hunky guys and Ellen playing tricks on her guests and staff. She rounded 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… Continue reading The Day Grandma Got Woke

When CPR Class Pays Off

(re-run) In my previous married life long ago, I was the Girl Scout leader for my youngest child and the girls her age at her elementary school.  As a leader, I was supposed to get CPR training, so I went to the classes and got certified.  Maybe someday I’ll need it while doing a scout… Continue reading When CPR Class Pays Off

A Lasting Love

(re-run) Maurice was a sophomore at Riordan Catholic High School for Boys in San Francisco. He played tenor sax in the marching band. His buddy, Dave, was dating a girl named Sheila from Mercy Catholic High School for girls, and he suggested that Maurice date her older sister, Colleen.The foursome went to the football game,… Continue reading A Lasting Love

The Robin and the Chrome Bowl

(re-run) Every morning, as I sit at my kitchen table putting up my blog post and sipping on strong tea, a robin comes near the back porch to meet its reflection in an upside-down chrome dog bowl. The robin does a little dance in front of the bowl. The reflection does a dance back to… Continue reading The Robin and the Chrome Bowl

Where’s the Beef?

(re-run) My sister fell out of her recliner at her nursing home (board and care home, actually) and landed on her face and glasses. The glasses were badly bent, so I needed to go to Costco on the DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING to see if they would bend them back into shape with their magical optical… Continue reading Where’s the Beef?

When a House Feels Like a Home

It’s been eleven years since I moved into my little house. It has changed so much, and that’s a good thing. I liked the location but not the house. It was vacant. I saw it three Sundays in a row. The third time I looked at it, I decided I could live there. It was… Continue reading When a House Feels Like a Home