My mom hated perfume. She said it gave her a headache. But really, I think it was the combination of ALL the perfumes mixing and swirling around the car following a shopping trip that was truly the culprit. You see, my grandma – she loved perfume. As a kid, I spent many Saturdays hunting for … Continue reading Perfume #1000wordsofsummer
Family
Sister #1000wordsofsummer
I have only one sister. One sibling. She’s three years younger than I am, and I can still remember waiting on the cement steps outside my front door on that July afternoon, watching for my parents to pull into our driveway with my new sister, Melanie. I was only three, and I think its likely … Continue reading Sister #1000wordsofsummer
Salt Dip
Memories of my grandma Often include antiquing Treasure hunting Visiting garage sales, Flee markets, Antique shops, On a hunt For a special salt dip These small, glass dishes Pre-dating salt shakers in origin Became a focus Easy to carry and display (she had a special shelf) Cut glass Colourful (or not) We would hunt Maybe … Continue reading Salt Dip
Hands
Some say Eyes are the window to the soul and I (sort of) believe that But if there were a close second I think it would be the hands I have one son (and not my youngest) who will still reach for my hand any and all times I have it free, outstretched at my … Continue reading Hands
Mini-Slice: My 14-Year-Old Little Girl
My daughter, Emaline, is fourteen years and 5 months old today. She is a smart, healthy, 9th grader. Honestly, high school has been a breeze as compared with the transition to middle school. Augmented by the ongoing pandemic and the desperate desire to feel alive and push boundaries, she and her friends made some unwise … Continue reading Mini-Slice: My 14-Year-Old Little Girl
Bearing Witness
Inspired by a writing challenge around the topic of: “a spiritual or religious experience” and also aligned to the theme of the Moth Radio Hour episode from 4/25/23, entitled “Bearing Witness.” My aunt Jill was a fascinating woman. My mom’s only sister, she abandoned her Wisconsin homeland for the Arizona desert, so I didn’t really … Continue reading Bearing Witness
Mini-Slice: A Betrayal
Inspired by my 20-minute writing exercise today around the theme: “Detail a situation where you felt betrayed.” Betrayal: the sense of being harmed by the intentional actions or omissions of a trusted person. Luckily betrayal isn’t an emotion I’ve felt often. In fact, to start this writing exercise, I even resorted to looking it up … Continue reading Mini-Slice: A Betrayal
20 Minutes: My Childhood Room
#1, Eisenhower Street: The first thing I recall about my bedroom is the wallpaper. It’s a vintage, nursery print with sepia brown tones that remind you of those old time photographs you can pay to get taken in tourist traps like Wisconsin Dells or Niagara Falls. The pattern features a rocking horse, a teddy bear, … Continue reading 20 Minutes: My Childhood Room
20 Minutes: Earliest Memory
When I was just over three years old, my parents introduced me to my newborn baby sister, Melanie. I have a faint memory of sitting on the concrete front porch step with my grandma, watching for them to drive home from the hospital. It was early July and I waited with longing – mostly just … Continue reading 20 Minutes: Earliest Memory
Mini-Slice: Lost
Inspired by my 20-minute writing exercise today around the theme: "If you can delete a memory, what will it be? Why?" It was a perfect summer Saturday – Labour Day weekend. Tim was working and I had planned to take my 3 young boys, plus one add-on friend (for good measure) to Centre Island for … Continue reading Mini-Slice: Lost
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