Last Thursday evening was the third grade music program at school, so our family went to watch Kyle do his thing, and Sue rode with us. It was hard, as everything these days is hard, but we seemed to be doing okay, clapping and smiling, and even chuckling at some…
What we’re doing: basketball
I realize I’ve been too quiet lately; I wish I had more time to write here. I wish I had more time, period. But, here’s what our family has been up to the past few weeks: Basketball,basketball,being sick with fever / sore throat / virus / whatever,basketball,work and school,basketball,I spent…
Book 3 of 5: a pleasant change of pace
As with book 1, I was introduced to book 3 at the Attleboro Public Library. I finished my degree at Smith College in December 1995, and moved back to my hometown of Attleboro, Massachusetts, to figure out which route to take next in my life. Probably in March or April…
Book 2 of my most influential five
When I was a teenager – often depressed, no self-esteem, thinking of death and hurting myself – I bought a used paperback anthology of poetry by women. I had heard of Sylvia Plath, and might already have read The Bell Jar, but hadn’t yet been exposed to her poetry. The…
Five books that have influenced me the most: Book 1
A couple months ago, a friend from my book discussion group suggested that members choose the five books that have most influenced / impacted them – not one’s “favorite books” nor necessarily what one considers the “best books” read so far, but books which had some significant, lasting impact on…
Voices in my head, these days
It has been two weeks since Gerald passed away. We are meeting with his doctor later this afternoon to hear more about the results of blood tests taken in the emergency room, and any other information from the hospital records that might help us understand how he became so sick…
How long do you hope for a miracle?
That was a question I asked Jeff in the Intensive Care family waiting room on Friday, September 19, 2008. My father-in-law’s condition was not improving. He was on a ventilator, and hadn’t taken a breath on his own since about 6am that day, when he’d collapsed at home. His kidney…
The book sale
The following paragraph is taken from the book Biblioholism: the Literary Addiction by Tom Raabe: The book world was also intense in those days [mid-1800s to early 1900s]. Fightsoccasionally broke out in bookstore aisles. When the English translation of The Devil on Two Sticks came out, the books were gobbled…
No more donations
I’ve made my last blood donation. I waited more than a year and a half after the last one, when I nearly passed out, but yesterday, they were having another blood drive at work, and I thought I’d give it a try. I got through most of it, then almost…
A new poem
As the subject line says, I wrote a new poem. As usual, this shouldn’t be considered a final version, as I may decide to change any or all of it in future. Again My head got stuck in the jaws of angertoday; crazy hijacked my afternoon. It doesn’t last, I…