Coming up on six years of blogging. Lots of life happened during that time – two and a half kids through college, three spousal hospitalizations, many tons of new paving stones and blocks surrounding our house and a total turnover of appliances. They don't make them like they used to, referring to the appliances, not…

That's my Gracee, she seems to love people and hate dogs. I blame it on a poor start in life, having been rescued, so to speak, when she was six months old. Our Gracee Mae never received early doggy socialization skills. No matter how hard we tried, her rough beginnings defeated our efforts. During her…

Love that title, which it the slogan for Fire Island, NY. Hadn't been on the Island since grade school maybe, but not much has changed. No cars allowed, 8 mph speed limit for bikes. We stayed in Lonelyville, where the streets are boardwalks:   The view from the rooftop deck of the house where we…

My date with blogland, that is. Apologies for my tardiness. Judging from the upswing in feedback, either more of you have returned from holidays or eating OCD struck a chord. I have more: When I eat cherries, I inspect the bowl for a good one and save that one for last. In this house we…

I have this thing about serving lasagna, for example, or brownies. I cut them in neat straight lines. God help you if you cut on the diagonal or jaggedly in my kitchen. Is it my need for orderliness in a disorganized world? An excuse to eat just a little more to make it even? My…

1975: 2010:    I don't know what it is about these pictures makes me so emotional. Rosie and I have known each other since 3rd grade and a lot of life has happened in the 35 years between these photos. Maybe that's it. All that potential, all that life experience. It's a bit overwhelming and…

Holy St. Christopher, Batman, the plane only had 18 seats. Every seat an aisle seat and every seat had a window. Even the seaplane I've taken to Vancouver Island is twice the size. That's what you get when you buy cash plus miles tickets. I figure the cash went to the real jet we had…

I think I insulted the guys at my dinner table tonight when I commented that the sky was the best entertainment all evening: Those were all in the same evening. It drove me crazy once, visiting Phoenix, where there were walls around single story homes. I need my distant orientation. My mountains and my sky.…

"Did I really knit you?" I asked Marina. Was I really capable of something so complicated? Where did my brain go? Was my vision good enough to digest that chart? Was it just five years ago? Scary. I've been working on this so long it's looking worn as a well loved teddy bear. It took…

Today is Canada Day, the Canadian reasoning for a July day off, and off I'm taking. In fact, due to its proximity to the weekend, I took an extra day for a total of four days off in a row. As timing would have it, C has to work the same four days. Still looking…