Suprise Me

In 1989, there were several reports of tourists being killed while visiting game parks in Kenya. When people found out that we were about to travel to Africa, they asked with alarm, “Should you really go?” Read More

Remember how, in her 70s, she walked four extra blocks in a snowstorm to save a few pennies on toilet paper? Read More

We went to Paris and Israel in 1984, the year our son turned thirteen. It was a wonderful trip marred by a few unforeseen catastrophes, the greatest of which was almost losing his little sister. Our daughters were ten and seven, and it was our youngest who gave me one of the most frightening close… Read More

It didn't help that mom and grandma didn't write anything down. "You'll know when it's done ... just add a shake of that ..." was their response to my questions. Read More

I am the second born of a set of identical twins. Does our birth order – he (Twin A) older, I (Twin B) younger – make a difference? Did it ever? If I recall, it made a difference with Cain and Abel. And my father always said that the ancient Romans considered the second born… Read More

I immediately got my hair colored and cut... Read More

The reason brain games are so satisfying is purely scientific: chemicals. We get a DOSE of them when we succeed... Read More

If I live to be 90 like my parents, my children are free to surprise me. Just no flamingos this time. Read More

No Buster Browns, Keds, or Thom McCanns for me. Just, ugh, saddle shoes ... Read More

First there was the retirement that wasn’t, observed by many, and then there was the retirement that “was”, observed by almost no one. And midway between them was a short-circuited retirement, a retirement that “wasn’t” also observed by almost no one. The end. Read More