Everyone has a story. You are the only one who gets to write your own story. Some bravely choose the uncomfortable nonfiction version. Warts and all. Others choose the more palatable creative [...]
Childhood I wrapped the striped baby blanket around my Betsy Wetsy doll. A dead fly’s wing hung to one corner of the fabric that brushed along The Barn floor in my motherly haste. The Barn, was [...]
I am glad my kids like me. Parenting is scary. You want to do the best, but sometimes doubt creeps in. Children do not come with a manual. My husband died when my daughter was 12 years old and my [...]
I am glad I found my writer’s voice. When I was a little girl , I enjoyed listening to stories. But I was not old enough to appreciate the author’s literary skills. In high school [...]
I am glad I was raised in a small town. Ames, New York is still the smallest incorporated village in New York State. When I lived there in the ’50’s and ’60’s, about 200 [...]
I am glad I have three sisters in my family. I am number two of 4 girls born in a five-year time span. Mom and Dad provided the main course of my DNA. Good genes and strong moral values sustained [...]
I am glad to perpetuate my mother’s tradition of organization and dedication to a well-set table. In the upcoming days, and sometimes weeks, of a large family gathering, mom polished [...]
Two special treats appeared at Christmastime when I was a child. One was clementines. Today the smell of that little citrus gem immediately takes me back to the one that was always in the toe of [...]
My parents bought our home in Ames, New York in 1951. A year later, I arrived and joined my sister. By 1955, we were a family of six. I have called it my home ever since. At Christmastime my [...]
My mother’s brother and his family lived in Germany. Every Christmas we waited for a big wooden crate to arrive from Europe packed with beautiful gifts and German treats. One year, he sent [...]