Category Archives: Writings

Eighteen days. Or in Evelyn’s words, sleeps. Eighteen sleeps until the road trip and bee-bop across the country time. Our UHaul pods arrived today! The drop-off guy clarified that we lucked out getting the metal instead of wood crate ones. After packing fifteen boxes, a dresser, a trunk, and a cabinet into the first podContinue reading “Night Owls”

There’s a tsunami of power rising within. Its surge rips up 100-year-old roots and flicks them to the side with her pinky. I’m riding it, solidly footed, hollering, “Is this the best you got?” Riding the wave of upheaval while diving headfirst into the belly of the beast means owning discomfort. It means moving forwardContinue reading “A Force”

I’m very much glued to the PulsePoint app on my phone. It’s a list and map of all the fire and rescue calls in my area. Currently, there are five active, including a vehicle fire, three medical emergencies, and a residential fire. Nine of the previous ten were all vegetation fires, one of which weContinue reading “Independent Day”

Sitting in dusk’s glow under our patio draping lights is heavenly. With sunshades propped atop my head like a fancy ribbon of a 50’s poodle skirt-wearing bopper, I ignore the calls for “Mom!” I want quiet and am off duty – whatever that means. Evelyn’s sliding a chair in beside me despite my warnings aboutContinue reading “Bing Bang Boom”

Ideas are crumpled into wads of paper and tossed into the trash. The “it” factor, no one has. “Off with their head,” demands the Queen of Hearts. It smarts, the sting of goodbye. Then there’s the reward of hello. Like a circle chasing its tail, never to catch it, I drown. In a bowl ofContinue reading “A Crazed Daze”

It was a lovely night for a clockwise paddle around Hidden Lake. A T-shirt would do, but the extra hoodie layer was a good choice, ensuring complete comfort. With full bellies from a nearby sushi restaurant, Dave and I took our oars, locked Archie inside the house (he’d run around the lake after us ifContinue reading “Row, Row, Row”

I’m in a hurry and write mood. It’s pedal to the metal (not medal, Jaclynn) so I can slink into bed for sleep. Another boom. Although five days ahead of the 4th, the fireworks go off once every fifteen to thirty minutes. The booms are most likely M-80 firecrackers. With our windows open to coolContinue reading “Memory Lane Trippin’”

“I made you something, Laura,” 4-and-a-half-year-old Evelyn said to my friend of 35 years. “You did?!” Laura replied, eyes widened in surprise. “I made you my friend,” Evelyn said. Kids are magic. Pure magic. It’s been a long and wonderful day. We received three gifts: napkins shaped of Washington state and its cities, a mushroomContinue reading “Hello, Goodbye”

With our departure date looming, I committed to establishing an itinerary. My goal was to have it finished by this weekend’s end. However, once I started I couldn’t stop. Ok, so what if I came in three days ahead of my self-imposed deadline? To start, I’m glad the all night drive idea gotkaboshed. Lovely isContinue reading “A Plan is Made”