That morning she called and offered to come and sit, to keep watch over her child while her son-in-law ran to get breakfast and a shower.  They didn’t want her to be alone, not for any medical necessity but because her time was short and growing shorter—and they did not want her to die alone. […]

Pay close attention, people.  If you come from a dysfunctional family, you haven’t seen your spouse or your children in decades but they still legally belong to you, or you’ve outlived anybody even remotely related to you . . . or you know and/or are caring for someone who meets that description, LISTEN UP.  This […]

This, my friends, is a face that will give anyone nightmares, especially if you’re a child.  And that’s exactly what it was originally designed to do.  The statue, which was named “Mother Bird” was created in 2016 by Keisuke Aiso for an exhibition inspired by Japanese ghost stories; the figure is based on local folklore about […]

“Water, water everywhere and all the boards did shrink . . . Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink.” So said Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his 1834 epic poem, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”.  Granted, the reason he couldn’t drink the water was because of the salt content, which was also the reason the […]

I don’t often mention families or their loved ones by name here; I certainly don’t use their pictures.  And if I’m going to tell their story anonymously, I wait long enough that most of you won’t know who they are.  But today is different.  Today, with his family’s permission, I want to tell you about […]

In case you’re one of those date oblivious folks, February 14th, aka Valentine’s Day, is upon us—as in right on top of us if you’ve waited until Thursday to read this.  Or long since gone if you waited much beyond that.  So, in honor of that special day, I’d like to tell you the story […]

I have this grandson named Anderson.  Recently I told Anderson’s father (my son), that his child had to be part cat.  He’s bound to have nine lives and, as best we can estimate, he’s used five of them thus far.  That we know of.  And he’s only eight. I won’t recount the previous four; although […]

To quote the great Yogi Berra, these past few days have been a case of “déjà vu all over again”.  For those who might be unfamiliar with the terminology, déjà vu (pronounced “day zha voo”) is the feeling that you’ve experienced something before, even though you may not remember when or how.  So déjà vu […]

After thirteen years of marriage, my daughter and son-in-law are expecting their first (and possibly only) child.  And for thirteen years, they have endured all the questions. “So . . . when ya’ll gonna have a little one?” “Thinkin’ ‘bout startin’ a family anytime soon?” “You’re not gettin’ any younger, you know . . .” […]

Have you ever opened a bottle or can of Dr. Pepper that’s been shaken, even just slightly?  Have you then gone looking for wet paper towels or a mop, or just gone to stand in the shower so you can remove all the syrupy stickiness with which you have been coated due to the ensuing […]