I found that subject on an e-mail in my in box over the holiday weekend. How much fun, being re-united with pen pal, Kate, from 40 years ago! I can picture the two of us attending the concert at the Pan American Union, in 1966, and agreeing to stay in touch. The last time we…

Easter treats: Treat #1: A Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory caramel apple Easter bunny. Marshmallow cheeks, licorice whiskers, gumdrop nose and Smartee eyes; all coated in white chocolate. Even Bryant found it too sweet. Treat #2: Hot Cross Buns? Look again, those aren’t currants and candied fruit. They’re very decadent chocolate chips. Treat #3: Pumpkin Creme…

I know, I sound like a broken record. You can tell my age by that one, what would be the contemporary equivalent? Anyway, you’ve heard me say it before – Marina and I are back together. Sometimes I think the breaks in our relationship are a good thing; that we’re still together because of our…

Don’t you hate when that happens? My 9th grad math teacher, Miss Lahrman, supposedly a former nun, told us, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Well, I work with a woman named Audrey. Consider Audrey’s husband, who has hell to pay as far as his wife is concerned. He’s doing his penance…

Thank you all for your encouragement. I especially appreciate your stories, it’s amazing how common, but hidden, mental illness is. This is as public as I have been with something that’s been a part of my family’s life since I was 11. The added bad news is that my mother removed herself from the waiting…

Sometimes life is a stitch and sometimes it needs stitches. It’s one of those times. You see, I grew up with a mother who suffers from mental illness – 40 years of it, so far. When she’s on her medication all seems well, but when she’s off, watch out! She’s off right now and I…

Oh, Ms. Grace, you’ve done it again. I heard C get up at about 6:30 this morning to take Gracee out. Then I heard him in the living room screaming. Worried about his finger situation, I listened closely. He’s yelling about the dog and twenty dollar bills. That darned dog. There were teensy bits of…

My Puerto Rican grandmother used to yell in exasperation, "Enough ees enough, too much ees too much." I’m with you, Grammy. Last week Chuck’s finger had an altercation with the table saw (instant replay of earlier in the year when he put several fingers through the band saw). He got eight stitches and a round…

I’ve ordered the sweater from White Lies Designs for my daughter’s wedding. She has convinced me to knit it although it won’t fit properly over the sash of her wedding dress. She wants it so much she says she’ll remove the sash! It’s not like she won’t be able to wear it after the wedding.…

I heard on the radio that more Goth kids grow up to be doctors and lawyers than conventional kids. They tend to be bookworms and are quite bright. The reporter said "Don’t worry, mother, if your child doesn’t resemble the one you gave birth to, be assured. One day he’ll wash his face, pull out…