The Lightbulb Myth (and the lightbulb joke)
She would be one of the two that complained about how the previous lightbulb was so much better. She wouldn't have mixed the martinis, she wouldn't have called the electrician, she would have called Husband... Read More...
An Open Letter to _______ Concerning Fruitcakes

When I was a young girl, far-off relatives would send the family a fruitcake every year before Christmas, and every year it would sit in the middle of the dining room table untouched. In moments of desparation, I'd try to carefully extract the tiny bits of cake from the surrounding fruit and nuts only to end up frustrated, cursing it. But maybe a fruitcake is more than just a fruitcake...
Read More...I'm Thankful for Green Day
These three go without saying, but can't be understated: I'm thankful that Husband, Charlie and I are all in good health. The people in our lives are what make life worth living. Besides those three, what else am I thankful for..? Read More...
On Being Not So Nice
Fall Forward (and the Dog's Birthday)

Fall feels like the possibility that something new and exciting is about to happen. There's something in the air. Even the color of the light is a little different. To make sense of this...
Read More...Remembering 9/11
They cared about their fellow human beings, often putting the safety of strangers above their own. Heroes, true heroes, were made that day... Read More...
Mad Men (and the women they loved)

Ah, the ’60s were great, weren’t they? Doris Day, clean-cut all-American astronauts, Mitch MIller, Look magazine... How we all long for that joy-filled, unpretentious time. Let’s take a look back at that wonderful era as seen through the lens of our advertising media. What were we selling ourselves? What did we want? Oh, and see if you spot the fake ad...
Read More...Las Vegas Road Trip

My feelings about this town can be summed up with the fact that I'm most happy when I can see it in my rearview mirror. A go-go dancer in a micro-micro bikini doing her dance is right in front of me and not 10 feet away, a giant plastic SpongeBob Squarepants advertises the “SpongeBob in 4-D” ride; you know, for the kids...
Read More...Summer Poetry Kicks
The first time I heard it, I scoffed at the idea of it actually being considered a poem. (I admit, I am a scoffer sometimes.) Something about it, though, has gotten to me. Every time I read it, I like it a bit more. Maybe it's its economical use of words... Read More...
Thoughts About Mom

Uh, that’s hard for me to look at too and way too big, but looking through the newspaper ads (yeah, we still get a real paper newspaper), I learn that moms just love $48.97 diamond heart pendants...
Read More..."The Year of Magical Thinking"
I remember after my dad died thinking back to the days before when he'd complained of pain in his left arm. We later knew that this was a sign. If only we'd done something. The kind of thinking seemed to perpetuate this feeling of re-emergence, as if we could turn back time if only we had done the right thing. If only.
Flash forward: With spring break drawing to a close, the boys and I went out after dinner to Barnes & Noble to look around and give Charlie a chance to use up his remaining gift card from Christmas. Husband was looking for a last-minute gift (the next day being my birthday)...
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Story Telling
So many of us record our stories, our lives, in our blogs for everyone to read (or not). I thought about how an illness or accident can take us and change us so completely. One day we're walking around, minding our own business, the next we're confronting our own mortality and weaknesses. We all have our stories. But then, I also thought, some stories really need to go into the vault, never to be heard again. Let’s talk about apples... Read More...
It’s Neighbor Day: Some Random Thoughts on Coffee, Yardwork, and Mr. Rogers?
So Much for Not Worrying
I'm Giving Up Worrying for Lent
How Do We Love Our Neighbor If We Don't Even Like Them?
Our friends have neighbors who are odd and for some reason seem to enjoy causing problems for all those around them... Read More...
The Next Week...
Pieces of My Heart and Random Valentine's Day Thoughts

Years ago, when I was still in school, I worked the costume jewelry counter at JC Penney. It was a pretty sucky, mind-numbing job and didn't last too long; but I remember the days leading up to Valentine's Day, the rush of last-minute guys shopping for wives and girlfriends. They certainly weren't the big spenders; we didn't have anything over let's say $50...
Read More...Behind the Story: Is Grandma Okay?
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Our friend Laura G. has sent us a new story. When I read it, I was struck by how it applied to my family at this moment in time. Last week, my mother-in-law was in the hospital for a few days. She's okay, but we, our son especially, have to deal with the fact that she's getting older...
Read More...Living in my Head; The last Week of Vacation
StoryRhyme After Dark: A Divorce Story for Parents and Children
Volunteering: A Tale From The Trenches
18 Kids and Counting and the Tater Tot Casserole Recipe: Updated
Update: "The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob. Well, it's "18 Kids and Counting" now...
Read More...
Why Was Jim's Gift to Della Ironic in "The Gift of the Magi"? Updated

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...
Truth & Quakers
The Allure of Cheap Hair Products: Hair Diary Part 3. Hens Are Not the Same as Roosters
May God Bless These United States of America
Road Trip: Remembering Grandma

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...
LightSpeed Update
New Tricks for a Somewhat Older Dog
Gravity: Friend or Foe?

Gravity has not been kind. I examine my face, looking for the right angle of attack for makeup application... Read More...
Ch-Ch-Changes (updated)
How "Elf" Saved Me From Despair
Play With Dog; Do Homework

If I Knew Then What I Know Now; My Sister-in-Law
Mother's Day; Reflections on Motherhood
StoryRhyme After Dark: Sister Kathy's "Empty Nest"

We have children. We love them; we teach them; we enjoy them. But only for a few years... Read More...
Bad Haircut, Part 2
Painting. The bad haircut.
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...
Lord of the Rings? Politics.
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...







