August Wilson, that extraordinary playwright whose work I have always loved, once wrote: When the sins of our fathers visit us We do not have to play host. We can banish them with forgiveness As God, in His Largeness and Laws. Yesterday was not a good day. A situation occurred which triggered memories […]
Long before the development of shopping malls, and long before the ubiquitous ear piercing locations within those malls, there were families with members, usually grandmothers or spinster aunts, with steady, clean (one hopes) hands and good enough eyesight to perform the singular task of piercing ears. Anyone’s ears. But not in my family… …in spite […]
Or when the past and the present collide in the most quirky of ways and I realize I have far more questions than answers and it pisses me off. Pun intended. Chamber Pots. Seriously? After such a lengthy break from stories? After an effing world-wide Pandemic? A post-election pre-inauguration Insurrection? A bleepin’ new, unprovoked and […]
BOBBINGALONG is still here! WE ARE BACK! Not that we went anywhere, really. Well, there was that trip abroad last summer. I still am not completely comfortable eating inside a crowded restaurant, but “join us in Spain and Italy?” Hell, YES! There were also a few trips to visit grandchildren though a lot of our “together […]
My father was often called upon to speak at events–dinners and meetings and such. I was aware of this mostly because after he finished writing he would wander around the house muttering words until they were committed to his memory. Also, unless she was also attending the event, and if Dad’s commitment included dinner, Mom […]
How I loved my mother‘s stories. They weren’t the usual fairy tales and fables. These were stories based on actual events with actual people, stories about her family, whom she referred to as “my people”. These hardy souls, who emigrated from England to Newfoundland in the mid-1800s, were her beloved aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins. […]
What keeps me occupied during times of Crisis? Chaos? Covid? Once I finally crawl out of bed, I head to my studio and busy myself with projects I have ignored for a very long time. Throughout the earlier months of Covid, I spent all day every day working on art. Having uninterrupted days to create […]
It wasn’t always easy. It wasn’t always calm. We weren’t always happy And we weren’t always strong. Together, however, we did what we must To hold onto our union and onto our trust. It took patience and work With apologies plenty. As not all words were spoken gently. But fifty years later, I’m still here […]
Sometimes, some people are just too extraordinary for this world to sustain. Sometimes, perhaps, their light, their glory, shines too brightly and simply cannot be contained. Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean was one of those. To lose her and her son Gideon is a tragedy beyond belief. It isn’t fair. It defies logic. It defies reason. […]
Monopoly. The very word conjures up some of the best parts of my childhood. I immediately travel back in time where I once again hear the voices of my family, my West Virginia family, gathering at the Lost Creek home of my grandmother, my Mommom. I smell chicken frying and home-canned beans simmering. I taste […]
The title says it all: this is the best short story I have ever read. Granted, it features me as one of the main characters. And granted, it was written by my young grandson, the Chickadee. Before I share (dare I say “publish”?) his story I must acknowledge that he also illustrated it. Fine work […]
Well, hello again! As usual, too many months have passed since my previous post. Consistency is not something I do well. I do try. Truly. Or, at least, I try to try. But, moving on… Chemo is done. It wasn’t horrible, for which I am overwhelmingly grateful. One could call it beginner’s luck, I suppose. […]
Assuming you have read my previous posts about the uveal melanoma diagnosed in mid-2006 (and if you have not, begin here and continue here and here), then you may be wondering why I have chosen now to finally write about it. I mean, I’m slow with my posts but twelve and a half years? Okay. […]
If you have read my previous posts, (here and here), and were a bit mystified by them, it is important first to understand how I became a Pirate. Yes, there might be more pressing questions you’d like answered, but becoming a Pirate is the start of it all. Or, almost the start. Maybe the result […]
Once again, I sit here in January, duly writing on my computer and wondering how I failed to acknowledge an entire year. An entire effin’ year! And what a year it was, that 2018. One for the ages, I suppose. Or, at least, one for the blog. I’ll catch up on all of it bit […]