“Sometimes Corinna wonders why they got married if they don’t like each other so much that all they do is yell at each other. If her father tells her mother that she’s fat and ugly, and her mother says that he’s nasty and selfish, then why did they get married? She thought that love was forever. Did her parents not love each other? Then why did they get married. Maybe her parents pretended that they loved each other. Maybe they pretend that they love her and Amanda. Maybe her parents really are like what they say to each other? Is her mother useless..?” Read More...

She was unhappy then; she's unhappy now. Bianca wants to be, in her words, sitting under a tree with a book but has found herself instead in this communal situation where everyone is in everyone else's pockets. She doesn't want to play bingo or cards. She's tired of the social activities designed to keep the residents busy. She wants to be independent -- cook for herself, be on her own timetable -- but her circumstances don't allow that... Read More...

Lying in bed last night, eyes wide as saucers, I gave up on sleep and went to the kitchen for a cup of tea. Flipping through the cable channels (yes, my life is dominated by media) I came across "The Duggars: 17 Kids and Counting" on TLC. I am strangely fascinated by this family...

Update: "The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob. Well, it's "18 Kids and Counting" now...
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These were the words used in a search query by someone (likely a high school freshman) who found StoryRhyme.com. To the seeker: I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you didn't read the story, did you? Because if you did, you'd know that O. Henry's use of irony is not exactly subtle. In fact, if at first you didn't know what irony meant, you would after reading "The Gift of the Magi..."

Update: Jim And Della's Gifts; Irony... Okay, since it's the season of giving and since I don't want to feel like I've got spiders in my soul like The Grinch, I'm directing this post to the many of you who are seeking the answer to the question: What is ironic about the gifts Jim and Della gave to each other. Also, what were they really giving...

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So do we always want to hear the truth? I don't think so. When we ask our partner how we look, don't we really want them to tell us, "You look fabulous"? When we ask for the opinions of others, aren't we looking for validation? How do we live in community together if we don't shade the truth a little for those we love? Do we really tell the host or hostess that dinner was awful..? Read More...

I think I'm getting to be an old hand at this dyeing stuff. Well, I have done it twice now. Go to the drugstore with the top of the old box (very clever). Husband suggests I go lighter this time (to replicate Michael's results). Sound advice; right (from a guy who goes to SuperCuts)..? Read More...

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to the stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear on cheerfully, do all bravely, awaiting occasions, worry never; in a word to, like the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common..." Read More...

At the age of 2, Grandma moved with her parents and brother from Kansas to the Arizona desert to homestead. Her mother (my Great Grandmother) taught school in the one-room school house and owned and ran the general store. Life was hard in the small ranch town. It was remote and often lonely...

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If given the choice, I'd rather take a nap than have to learn something new...

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Intuitively I know that change can be a good thing, but for me, change often falls into the category of it's good for you, like eating your vegetables or cutting donuts out of your diet. Not always the most fun; sometimes a challenge. Fifteen years of doing one thing one way are now at an end... Read More...

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Gravity has not been kind. I examine my face, looking for the right angle of attack for makeup application... Read More...

I feel like such a heel. His friends will all be starting school (right at the end of our street) next week, without him. Today he's blazing a new trail on his own... Read More...

First Husband, then Charlie, then me. And I've had it the worst... Read More...

A while back, my mother-in-law gave Charlie a dry erase board (complete with AARP logo) -- magnetic -- so, of course, it ended up on the fridge, which is almost covered, but there are still a few inches of white space left. Very few. My favorite piece of fridge art right now is Charlie's picture of a monster Hello Kitty drawn in the style of King Kong or Godzilla, towering over destroyed skyscrapers and swatting at airplanes, using his (her?) heat ray eyes to destroy a passing helicopter. The tanks have no effect on him... Read More...

When Husband and I were prepping for Charlie to start school, we didn't think the school itself mattered as much as the parent-child involvement. While the aforementioned is certainly key, the other night, I felt a twinge of regret as I watched my sister-in-law doing some last-minute sewing. She was making a tiger for her classroom production... Read More...

Before we had our son, Husband and I would think nothing of a spontaneous trip into the city for a midnight dinner at our favorite 24-hour dive. We were night owls; expert sleepers... Read More...

We have children. We love them; we teach them; we enjoy them. But only for a few years... Read More...

Okay, I'm really questioning my hair judgment at this point. Refer back to first post (mousy hair). Read More...

Have just finished painting our master bedroom and am happy at last. Major undertaking (for me at least)...

Got a bad haircut today. I miss Michael. He cut my hair for years. He moved to the desert a few months ago. Against my better judgement, out of desperation, I went to one of those chain salons... Read More...

Just finished reading a long, very boring article on the religious symbology in the "Lord of the Rings" movies (and books) in an online literary journal. I think I can sum it up much more simply...

Now, I know I said before that this wouldn't be a political blog, but I just had a thought to share. I think that Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh should get married and go on a very long honeymoon... Read More...

To use a pen name or not? What do you all think out there? As those of you who know me know already, I'm using a pen name for my stories, which has been a bit of an internal struggle for me. Read More...