Ahhhh… Snow, glorious snow! We awoke to 12 inches or more of the beautifully, blissful, time-stopping stuff. And by some miracle we still have power, hence the mountain of wet snow clothes can toast in the dryer and the toilets… Continue reading

I think these Christmas form letters must be “out.” Or I am. I haven’t gotten any this year. But style never being much of a motivating factor for me, I press on with those passe items of print and paper… Continue reading

My sister said, “Too bad he doesn’t have his shirt on, then you could use it for your Christmas photo,” and I thought… Am I going to get one any better? Because that’s who William is: part wild man, part… Continue reading

I made a point of meeting the bus in an apron yesterday. I’ve never really worn an apron, cooking dinner in haste with my just-came-in coat still on or padding through breakfast in pajamas and slippers. But this is Christmas,… Continue reading

As I stood in the wet, overgrown woods behind our vet’s office last Monday, I found myself wishing I’d worn different clothes. The lovely L.L.Bean sweater with matching handknit scarf and gloves from Mom were clearly not up to the… Continue reading

I don’t know why I told the perky Verizon store guy about the TV. Until two months ago, our TV was your basic 1995 Philips-Magnavox 27inch model that we got for $25 from the church yard sale. It worked just… Continue reading

I must need my head examined. Two weeks before Christmas and I’m standing in Pet Smart with Ellie, eyeing a yellow orange fur ball named Spock. Spock is up for adoption with the Hanover Humane Society. A kitten?? Beam me… Continue reading

It has to be 95° on the Randolph-Macon pool deck, and I am seated in turtleneck and fleece watching Sophie, ninth-grade freestyler for the Hanover Hawks, start to turn pale with the prospect of the 500-meter race before her. Even… Continue reading

Christmas on the inside. It’s a phrase I’ve used to console Sophie this month about all the broken, on-the-fritz, undone and un-decorative aspects of life at the Burk Motel lately. For starters, the siding has hung off the front of… Continue reading

Of all the props, puppets, and flannel board pieces that live in the resource closet of the library where I work as children’s storyteller, my favorite is the butterfly jar. We have a hungry stuffed caterpillar with his tin lunchbox… Continue reading