Yet another day of sunshine and 80+ degrees. I put aside the work I couldn’t finish, and went to do the toughest hike in the community. Fall colors relaxed my eyes as the dry leaves crackled under my feet. But something was strange… The forest was silent. Completely silent. I puzzled over it, then realized that … read more A spooky hike
Month: October 2016
Endless summer
Every day I get up and it’s the same: sunshine, blue skies, warmth. You’d think I would be delighted with this. It’s perfect weather for hiking, walking, or just sitting on the deck. We don’t have to run the noisy heater. Don’t have to schlep raincoats, or worry about Tom slipping on a wet floor. … read more Endless summer
The bed’s too big
When we’re staying here in the rental house, I think of Joni Mitchell’s song “My Old Man“: But when he’s gone, me and those lonesome blues collide, the bed’s too big, the frying pan’s too wide… Even when my old man’s here, the bed’s too big. And too wide. Because it’s a king, not a queen. … read more The bed’s too big
Here and gone and still here
A couple of weeks ago, I was throwing a load of recycling into the condo community bins, and I was really tired. I sat in the car for a moment after I emptied the load, looking blankly out through the windshield. A point of light on the ground attracted my eye. Something big and white and round. … read more Here and gone and still here
A plea to Tom’s mother
Back in January, Tom’s birth mother said that she would be willing to receive a letter from Tom. “But don’t expect any response,” she told Lauren, the social worker at the agency who is our liaison. Tom struggled with how to write to her. How to thank her for enduring such a difficult experience, and not … read more A plea to Tom’s mother
Editing on deadline
[Oct. 26] I didn’t really sleep last night. Should have been a good night’s sleep, because I was dead tired from two days of driving back from Virginia and the emotional exhaustion from the intensity of that visit. But duty called. I was up half the night waiting for page proofs. What a feeling. It’s … read more Editing on deadline
Water and words
[Oct. 25] We had just about an hour to spend in downtown Charlotte. We spent it walking in The Green, a public space smack in the middle of highrises, just an acre and a half but filled with grass and art. A central fountain meant for kids to play in was dry, probably to conserve water during the drought. … read more Water and words
Bonded
This is my son, Tom. Richard introduced Tom a half-dozen times this weekend. Each time, he said those words clearly and with warmth. It felt better each time. Tom realized that he’d never heard it spoken that way before. This is my son, Tom. The impact of these words sums up what became clear over the … read more Bonded
All my cousins
I don’t know for sure, off the top of my head, how many cousins I have. More than 30. I’d have to go to the family tree chart and count. The photo here is from 2012, and it doesn’t come close to capturing everyone. And now two of them are gone. Tom only had five … read more All my cousins
A common enemy
Gen. Eisenhower really needed something for his men: 3 million bottles of Coca Cola. And bottling plants to refill them. Eisenhower’s requisition was sent to the Coca Cola company on June 29, 1943. Robert C. Woodruff complied. He set up dozens of bottling plants across Europe, and U.S. servicemen were able to buy Coke for a nickel, Coke’s history … read more A common enemy