Suprise Me

My first paycheck, and many meager ones that followed, taught me to respect people who work hard but earn little -- something to think about especially on Labor Day. Read More

This prompt gave me the opportunity to write about my pediatrician, Dr.Elizabeth Torrey Andrews. In a weird coincidence, I googled her and discovered an obituary in the Reed College magazine, the college my younger son graduated from. Dr. Andrews was only a Reedie for one year (1923), then transferred to the University of Oregon, following… Read More

    Retrospect: Shoppers By Kevin J. W. Driscoll (c) 2024 I’ve always been a bit of a consumer. Not in a hoarding sense, mind you. I’m not one of those people who fills their garage with boxes of expired cereal or their closet with clothes they’ve never worn. No, I’m more of a connoisseur… Read More

Route 101 looked like something out of a Mad Max movie ... Read More

I stopped using my diaphragm. Not surprisingly, I got pregnant. Read More

Compared to most mid-century couples, my parents married late. Dad was 34, Mom 29, and they figured they had no time to waste in starting a family. My brother Danny, born August 25, 1949, came first, and for a brief time he reigned unchallenged, the celebrated prince. For Dad, it was a long-deferred dream to… Read More

This is a snow story. It starts out sounding like a summer fun story. But trust me: this is a snow story… Have you ever had one of those times when something was supposed to be really straightforward and easy, but then it turned into… an experience? Several years ago, Brian and I realized we… Read More

Because all appearances to the contrary, I tended to play it safe... Read More

I lost my prom photos years ago, but I still have the shoes. Read More

Faithful readers of Retrospect may recall my story on the prompt Beaches, which included memories of two spring break trips I took three decades apart: a 1961 trip with my parents and sisters to Fort Lauderdale shortly after the movie Where the Boys Are came out; and a 1992 trip to Maui with my future second husband… Read More