One day I’ll tell him about the great Pasta Caper. — There’s such a fine line between creative parenting and lying. I blurred that line, smeared it, stomped on it, and obliterated its existence. There was no shame in my game about it, though. I had zero guilt. Not so recently, my grandson adamantly rejected ‘dinner.’ Desperate for an answer, I…

An unexpected lesson from summer camp. — Friday, August 12, 2022 “Why do you walk like that?” His ghost-like voice echoed in my brain and drowned out the music playing through my headphones. No longer a runner due to injuries, age, and my desire to remain upright for a few more years, I now power walk. Good German stock, I begrudgingly…

A star was born. — Chapters 1–4 A star arrived, bringing the light. Born to strangers, my course unknown. Open arms, papers signed, ink dried. Tucked in love, my forever home. Chapters 5–8 Secrets shared with a select few. Opened eyes, I don’t match another. Tomboy ways to gangly young girl. Not my father, nor my mother. Chapters 6–9 Lost in…

Kiki said to pull out all the stops. — Like all government elections, the battle begins with convincing people to go to the polls. Unlike all government elections, you can exercise your civic duty, your reader’s right to vote, from home in your jammies, un-showered, with your kids’ secret stash of Hershey Kisses. Don’t we all have foil wrappers…

Destination unknown. — The train slid across the tracks and groaned with increasing acceleration. Déjà vu flushes through me and my rapidly pulsating blood keeps time with the motion, faster, faster, faster. I am floating, but not, and awaken startled by the bouncing and the screams. Otherworldly, animalistic, guttural wailing echoed through the…

We are best friends again. — Are you ready to be nice? “No.” His furrowed brow confirmed the truth behind his reply. Okay, just let me know. I’ll be right here. I sat in the quiet kitchen. The apartment had a darker, eerier feel even though the storms passed. I turned the TV off with assurances…

The 10 Word Story Challenge and pics to back it — A story in ten words? Me? Laughable, but, doable. “The gentle giant faced his opponent, jaw clenched, and attacked.” My son immediately popped into my mind when challenged to write a ten-word story. It’s not that he could be limited to ten words either, per se, because Bill is quite gregarious once you know him. He weighs his words with…

Minimize your life for better mental health. — Minimalism I read about minimalism and wondered if it was what I needed. With life comes junk and it can weigh us down. Not long ago, I incorporated a quasi-minimalistic approach to my life, to a degree, without discomfort and without moving to a teepee. Initially, I identified what I held…

Good clean fun from my simple self. — I gravitate to card games, physical games, or any entertainment that allows me to uncage my competitive edge. The gauntlet was thrown to offer two truths and one lie for people to guess which one is which. I offer you the following to see if you really know me, are…