We dragged three boxes of Christmas decorations out of storage yesterday, knowing we didn’t need them. We’d already decided that a tree with ornaments would be too much hassle. But there were a few items we needed from those boxes. We only wanted the lights. Just plain, white lights. Simple candles (electric) in the front windows, … read more Only a few
Category: Inheritance
Ancestry and DNA, memory, blood ties, what we gain from the past and our parents. The nonfiction book 1919 looks at people and events of that year in their convergence, as harbingers and initiators of all that happened in the century.
Something doesn’t add up
Since I was a kid, any time I’ve taken an aptitude test I score higher on math than language. My GRE score was highest in analytical, almost as high in quantitative reasoning, and lowest in verbal reasoning. Funny stats for someone who always wanted to be a writer, and whose career involved very little math. … read more Something doesn’t add up
The plumber’s daughter
Most folks do not look forward to a discussion about septic tanks, I’m told. I do, though. We had a local construction guy, Chris, out to the cabin today, to look over our septic and water supply situation, and I anticipated it with a kind of glee. Toilets, gas lines, water lines, furnaces, AC, gray water, … read more The plumber’s daughter
Day 98: A taste of Columbus
Columbus is the quintessential Dead White Guy – castigated as one who was undeservedly glorified by other elites. The guy had a tough trip across the Atlantic, for sure, and he launched the colonization of the Americas, so he is not insignificant. But you don’t have to be a Howard Zinn fan to know that he didn’t … read more Day 98: A taste of Columbus
Day 92: A life in three sentences
She married a crippled man who later disappeared. Of this union were born 7 children. They resided in Norwalk and little is known of them. This is all I know of Mary Tyler Meyers, one of my maternal great-grandfather’s nine siblings. Except for the bare dates of her birth and death, Mary Tyler Meyers exists … read more Day 92: A life in three sentences
Day 84: Another wind
While my mom dances on the wind, I am stuck down here on earth with all the bad things I inherited from her. The tension forms rocks in my lower back, my shoulder blades. I get mad, impatient, worried, upset, and it locks into place. I really try to relax. I deep breathe, stretch, meditate, … read more Day 84: Another wind
Day 83: On the wind
Happy Birthday, Mom. You’d have been 92 today… but I think you don’t mind that you’re not here blowing out candles today. Because now you are an unfettered free spirit, after a lifetime in a conflicted body. For someone born in Monroeville, Ohio in 1923, you did pretty good. You loved music … it’s how you got through … read more Day 83: On the wind
Day 78: Reset
When I started this project, I cashed a check for $162.52 to get the 16,252 pennies. That was the last check of an annuity inheritance from Dad. Or so I thought. I got a letter from New York Life asking why I hadn’t cashed the check for February. Huh? I looked at my records and sure enough, … read more Day 78: Reset
Day 68: Stars aligned
I have a map of Germany with yellow stars, marking the stops of a trip for next spring. The stars do not mark tourist attractions. None of the names would be familiar to anyone outside the region: Kulsheim, Merdingen, Weisenheim, Dornberg… Until today, those towns were just words on a spreadsheet, matched up with names … read more Day 68: Stars aligned
Day 36: Birthday gifts
I cannot remember a single birthday gift that I gave my dad. I know I gave him gifts, and I didn’t give him ties because he didn’t have that kind of job – he was a plumber. I know there were some years when I didn’t give him anything, because he insisted he didn’t need … read more Day 36: Birthday gifts