What Are The Odds

“Do you ever wear it?” he asked me, looking down at the ring, not meeting my eyes. What a question. No.  The answer was simple.  No.  I never, ever wore the ring. I’d actually forgotten that I’d kept it, for many years.  Which seems rather amazing, considering all that the simple band of gold symbolized. [...]

The News

“Mom, I have some news for you.” I gulped, holding the phone.  It was a cold day in March, and I wondered what my boy, standing in his apartment seven hundred miles away in college was about to tell me. I remembered uttering those words to my mother as well, from my dorm room 100 [...]

Beach Musings

I was sitting on our patio at our beach condo, the day after Christmas, huddling against the chilly breeze.  I loved our Florida Christmases, with R’s parents and my father all together; it was our new family tradition.  Most people went to the beach in the summer, but we went for our Christmas holiday, and [...]

Internet Searches and Quiet Moments

It was quiet in the house on the mornings the kids were at preschool, and Z was at high school. It was strange , after years of working for Rick while trying to keep the babies occupied so I could spend hours on my computer, that now that I finally did have the time, there [...]

Still Going

I wondered as I lay there in bed that cool, winter morning, where this all was headed. R snored noisily next to me on “his” side of the bed as I lay there, watching the clock, knowing I’d have to get up from my cocoon of warmth and comfort in a few minutes.  No sense [...]

Sweetest Day Surprise

“But where are we going?” I persisted when R put the car in gear and pulled out of my sister’s driveway.  We’d just dropped off my son for the evening, because it was “Sweetest Day”. In the years since, I’ve discovered that Sweetest Day is a Midwest version of Valentine’s Day that occurs on the [...]

Dinnertime

R was cooking a steak on the little hibachi grill I bought a garage sale last summer for six bucks.  It was the only grill I owned; my mother had never, ever cooked outside on a grill, so I had never learned how to do so either.   I watched him through the kitchen window while [...]

Ready or Not

“What’s up?” I asked R, perched on the sofa that August evening.  I had just returned from my annual trip to the beach with my father’s family, ten days of fun and surf and family time for me and Zach.  We’d rented a new place in a more family friendly area this year, and everything [...]

Sunny Days

“Well, where do you want to go?”   R was at the helm of the boat, leading us out of the marina and into the river. Not just any boat.  His boat.  It wasn’t a fancy boat, or a brand new boat, but it was a 27 foot cabin cruiser with two bedrooms and a kitchen [...]

Every Ending is A New Beginning

“Thanks so much!” I stood and accepted the award that Becky and I had received, “Best Team Teachers”. We were all assembled at long tables at a local restaurant celebrating our end of year luncheon with the staff of FR Elementary.   My usual cohorts were all assembled near me:  Michelle, my friend who planned on [...]