Earring

Where did it go? That’s the question when the earring you’re about to attach to your ear lobe slips from your grasp. While you’re sitting on the toilet. Not everyone can accessorize while using the bathroom, but I’m a multi-tasker. Sometimes that can be risky. I had just finished arranging my orange/red infinity scarf around my neck atop my black shirt. The shiny gold strands would go well with my gold teardrop earrings, I thought, so I grabbed their small velvet box on my way to the restroom. Soon as I was seated, I removed one and that’s when it happened. Dropped it. So simply. So quickly. Did it fall inside my shirt? My bra? Was it hidden within the folds of my scarf? In my underwear? Did it slip between my thighs and land in the...

Drones

The Cumberland Homesteads, located on the Cumberland Plateau near Crossville, Tennessee, was a 1930s-era homesteading project started by FDR as part of his New Deal. About 250 families were relocated to the project, where they used sweat-equity to build homes for themselves. The hope was that the people would thrive on their own small farms, leaving poverty behind. Though the Cumberland Homesteads was the most successful of 100 similar communities established around the country, it was short-lived since it was never became self-supporting. Neither the community store nor cannery survived due to lack of experienced managers; other industry never relocated to the area. By 1945, the federal government ceased being involved in the project and those homesteaders who...

Four O’clock

“So this is how it begins.” I just looked at George, with no idea what he was talking about. It was 3:30 in the afternoon and we were bundling up to take Prince for a walk in our ice-covered neighborhood. Our town had been shut down for two days because of the weather so while George would have been home anyway enjoying retirement, I’d also been at home because I couldn’t drive to my office. Our normal routine is to feed the dog at 4:00 every day, then take a walk. I usually join the guys since I leave work about that time. But having both George and me home all day had confused Prince; he was clamoring for his dinner by 3:00, so George gave in and fed him. Thus, the early walk. But he had already done the feeding, so what did he think was...

SNL

Saturday Night Live just celebrated its fortieth year of laughter and silliness. I was in college when it started, not an era when I had much time for television, still, I remember one weekend my roommate brought a friend’s TV to our dorm room. We turned it on that Saturday night and I saw the silliest show ever, though I’ve never been able to recall its name. What I do remember is that every few minutes, a lady in a dark trench coat appeared, singing a song about what were considered psychiatric disorders at the time. I’m in love with a transvestite, although I knew it couldn’t last…. I’m in love with a sadomasochist…. There were others, too many to remember. Weird, I know. But funny. So I watched the SNL celebration hoping for any...

Squirrels

I’m happy that monster dog, Prince, doesn’t chase the squirrels we encounter on our walks. They’re such harmless little creatures I’d hate for them to be terrorized, especially since they trigger great memories for me. I can’t see a squirrel without thinking of my mother. And smiling. My mother hated squirrels. That’s right. Those cute animals with the graceful tails were her archenemies. You see, for a large part of my childhood, we lived in what used to be a pecan orchard. When developers bought the farm, they built houses amidst the pecan trees; we had four in our yard. And we were happy with our pecans. They made a delicious snack but, more importantly, we used them in baking. My mother’s famous creamy Christmas candy...