Out of all the pictures of “blast off” I could find, I chose this one of Apollo 7. I chose it partly because it was the first manned space ship NASA put into space, but it is also the first one I can remember. I remember watching it on television in 1968. Today is the day. In one hour, I[…]
On My Heart…. (A Series) August 25
My heart has been broken many times over my 59 years; the majority of which were not from romantic disappointments. Friends and family have broken my heart. My heart has been broken by the loss of pets. It broke when actress Bette Davis died. When I watched the tree outside the poet Robert Frost’s historical home be taken down due[…]
On Another Mother’s Day…
In early March, I found myself at Tractor Supply, a chain of stores that sells things to people who have tractors or secretly want to. There is everything there from fencing to feed. In the spring, they have flowers and vegetables for sale. Charles had a coupon for a percentage off a purchase of $50, and he was short a[…]
On Mother’s Day
It is Mother’s Day. My mother left this earth in 2018, four years ago. If you still have your mother, let me be cliché for a moment and tell you to cherish every minute with her. Of course, you cannot do that, because well . . . life. But make your best effort, so you minimize your regrets. Loss is[…]
On Relationship…
A simple tree by the roadside stands…
On Christmas Traditions.
I am being haunted by traditions today. Christmas Eve 2020 is not like any other Christmas Eve. Normally, I would be rushing to finish up my work so I could join my family for our traditional Christmas Eve celebration. My siblings and I, together with our families and loved ones, would gather together at Mom and Daddy’s house. We’d give[…]
On Compassion…
Compassion seems to be in short supply right now. Maybe it is lost in shipping with the protein powder I ordered a few weeks ago, or out of print like the book of essays I tried to send to a friend. Maybe it is just out of fashion, like bell bottom jeans. I do not know. But, of all the[…]
On Simple Love
Last night I dreamed about my mother. She was tiny and frail, and I was caring for her, like we did in those last days. It was just her and me, together. No one else. She needed to go to the bathroom, so I carried her in. This is something I never would have attempted alone in real life for[…]
Important Dreams.
I have been on vacation this week and have just returned. My mind is full of thoughts and things I want to blog about, but fatigue and the need to get ready for the upcoming week require me to put them on hold until later in the week. However, I thought I would share this one. It is an old[…]
A Tribute to My Heart Dog, Sean
I wrote the following tribute February 10, 2014, to my beloved “heart dog” Sean on his 12th birthday. He was slowing down and greying around his temples, and I knew our time together was growing shorter. Old hands, human and canine, 50 and 12. Today, the love of my life turned 12. As the alarm sounded this morning, he did[…]