Dad didn’t have much chance to acquire a taste for expensive jewelry. He was an Ohio farmer boy in a poor German Catholic family, one of eight kids being raised by a widow during the Depression. But he liked jewelry better than Mom, I think. Mom seemed to feel that jewelry was showing off and … read more Dad’s necklaces
Tag: Mom
The pill schedule
When my parents were in their last years, and I’d visit them in Arizona, I was appalled by how many pills they were taking. And this is before they were actually ill. I remember making up little schedules for them, so that they would be sure to take the right pill in the right quantity … read more The pill schedule
Something doesn’t add up
Since I was a kid, any time I’ve taken an aptitude test I score higher on math than language. My GRE score was highest in analytical, almost as high in quantitative reasoning, and lowest in verbal reasoning. Funny stats for someone who always wanted to be a writer, and whose career involved very little math. … read more Something doesn’t add up
Weeping, and other visions
“Those who do not weep, do not see.” – Victor Hugo, “Les Miserables” A friend offered this quote after my sorrowful post about my failures in fused glass. It reminds me of the passage from Khalil Gibran’s “The Prophet” engraved on my memory: “The more that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can … read more Weeping, and other visions
Day 84: Another wind
While my mom dances on the wind, I am stuck down here on earth with all the bad things I inherited from her. The tension forms rocks in my lower back, my shoulder blades. I get mad, impatient, worried, upset, and it locks into place. I really try to relax. I deep breathe, stretch, meditate, … read more Day 84: Another wind
Day 83: On the wind
Happy Birthday, Mom. You’d have been 92 today… but I think you don’t mind that you’re not here blowing out candles today. Because now you are an unfettered free spirit, after a lifetime in a conflicted body. For someone born in Monroeville, Ohio in 1923, you did pretty good. You loved music … it’s how you got through … read more Day 83: On the wind
Day 39: Make it stop
I laughed out loud at the headline in our local newspaper: “Pain often comes with age.” Now there’s a news flash. Mostly, I don’t mind getting older. I make better decisions, I don’t get as agitated, I’m not quite as restless. But at times I quote my mother: “It’s hell to get old,” she used … read more Day 39: Make it stop
Day 36: Birthday gifts
I cannot remember a single birthday gift that I gave my dad. I know I gave him gifts, and I didn’t give him ties because he didn’t have that kind of job – he was a plumber. I know there were some years when I didn’t give him anything, because he insisted he didn’t need … read more Day 36: Birthday gifts
Day 34: The last time I left home
I left Ohio many times, physically and mentally, before I left for good in 1984. But I always knew I would leave. Maybe it started when I was very little. I used to play along the banks of the creek that ran through our front yard, and built imaginary villages from twigs, leaves, moss, and … read more Day 34: The last time I left home
Day 33: Bookworm feast
My sister Ann and I are born bookworms. If it were allowed, we would move into the library – any library – and just live there, eating books. One of the things we really love about our annual Ohio pilgrimages is that our ancestry research takes us into two beautiful old Carnegie libraries – in … read more Day 33: Bookworm feast