Suprise Me

The winter of 2014-15 was the snowiest we remember in the Boston area with large storm followed by large storm. Then the sun came out, causing some melting of the snow on roof tops, giving way to terrible ice dams from the build up of snow on roofs. We learned the hard way how damaging… Read More

My experience in returning to Lake Placid that late afternoon encapsulated the rightness of my choice. Read More

Around the World in 80 Days I seldom saw my parents feuding,  but there was one thorny issue they couldn’t agree on.  When my mother retired after years of teaching she wanted my father to retire as well so that like many of their retired friends they could travel freely. They had traveled a bit… Read More

Coming of age during the Vietnam War did not mean you would be automatically drafted. If you were a privileged white boy, as I was, those less fortunate often took your place. In college, you could have used connections to get into the National Guard, as George W. Bush did to avoid active duty in… Read More

I am an ACOA. Read More

Bring your children to experience wandering among shelves of actual books before it is too late. And don’t forget to visit and support your local library. Read More

As a kid I loved Halloween, but grownups have co-opted it. Read More

This week’s prompt credits John Billington with the dubious historical honor of being the defendant in the first jury trial held in the American colonies. It didn’t end well for him Read More

I found myself being seduced by hand-crafted dolls from different lands over the years, finding serendipitous treasures in flea markets, souvenir shops, street vendors, and craft markets. Read More

The original of this Grimm fairy tale was published in 1819, and it is odd indeed. Read More