Clearing the Cobwebs

“What do you think it is?” my brother Jack asks. He’s in the middle of a 4-mile run even though he’s 68, his knees ache, and he biked 20 miles the day before with friends a decade younger. I shrug, then take his question seriously. After all, I drove seven hours to visit my brother and his wife, and after perfunctory hellos, Jack takes off for a run and I begin a three-mile walk. Jack and I bump…

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Scrabble Scrambler

Emily opened the door to the bar. She hadn’t been to Barney’s Pub in years. In fact, 30 years now that she thought about it. God, she must be old. But in her defense, she left the little town of Barneysville when she was 18. Couldn’t wait to explore the real world.Continue reading Scrabble Scrambler

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Baggage Magic

It all started with a gift. Last year when we visited our son in CA, he was horrified that his dad, my guy, still refused to use a suitcase with wheels. “Real men carry their bags,” my guy declared.Continue reading Baggage Magic

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Coloring My World

Let it go Feel the lightness of being Be now not then The wonder is here Here is there and everywhere Color your world   I’m walking toward a blogging break, coloring my world toward a creative revitalization. How do you color YOUR world? See you in March.

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Honey, I'm Charmed!

I stumble backwards at the sight of Roger. How on Earth can Roger – the Roger I’ve known and bantered with and talked to (in my head) for 46 years – be here? In flesh and blood and a smile that could light up a lonely midnight? (See part1 https://roughwighting.net/2024/01/26/honey-im-home/#more-10186)Continue reading Honey, I’m Charmed!

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Honey, I'm Home!

The snow is falling like sleet. As I climb out of my mini-Cooper I grumble to the car “you’re cute in June, but you’re mighty ugly in January.” While waiting for my tiny turquoise car to reply, a huge icy snowflake falls on my cheek. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings,” I mutter to the car. Continue reading Honey, I’m Home!

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A Covenant Between the Pages

One of my friends, Esther, sends an e-mail to a group of us declaring, “Hello, Beautiful(s). Excuse me while I disappear!” “What? Wait!” Judy demands in a return group e-mail. She’s the most assertive of my college friends who have stayed in touch through so many years. “Listen to the wisdom of the Silver Sisters. Us, your friends for years! Or use your own constructive thinking. You’ll feel…

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Kinky Parking Karma

I never go to a mall during the holidays. I rarely go any other time either, but the month of December is decidedly off limits. Except for today. It’s a few days after Christmas and I still haven’t bought “the” sweatshirt that my 15-year-old grandson wants. It’s not a special sweatshirt.Continue reading Untitled

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Silly Suds

The day is dark, as in pitch black, and it’s only 5 p.m. I’ve had a full day – yoga and meditation at 6 a.m., 500 words for my short story by 8 a.m., dance class by 9, grocery shopping by 10:30. I baked cookies for the neighbor and prepared a casserole for dinner. Now, I peer longingly at the claw-footed bathtub in my master bathroom and think – “yes, I deserve this.”Continue reading Untitled

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In the Upstairs Hallway

I moved in with a man I’d known for 11 months with my two children, ages 2 and 4. He was a confirmed bachelor. I was a newly divorced, single mom vowing to never live with a man again.Continue reading Untitled

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Very Superstitious

When the mirror broke, Gwen figured she was a goner. Overdramatic, perhaps, but at 88 years old, Gwen knew her time would be up soon. Continue reading Untitled

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What's Your Voice?

My voice has lowered over time. Not purposely. Age has made it softer and, if I talk for too long, hoarser. I used to be a good public speaker; in high school and college when I had to perform for pageants and plays, I used my voice as my talent, reciting well-known poems and stories with verve and veracity. This speaking talent was born and enhanced when I was a child. I’d hide under our dining…

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One Bent Ear

I peer down at Hank as I pet the top of his soft brown head while wondering, why had I never noticed this anomaly before? Continue reading Untitled

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Carrots and a Cat = Destiny

Denise had two things on her mind: carrots and Carl. Carl loved carrots. Carl hadn’t talked to Denise in two weeks, three days, and 14 hours, and the only thing on Denise’s mind was to bake a carrot cake that would make Carl come back to her. Continue reading Untitled

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Winging It

We’re told by philosophers to “live one day at a time.” To not worry about the future nor think about the past. These admonishments ring true, but that’s not how we humans seem to be wired. I often hear family and friends reminisce: “remember when we…,” and “I wish we still could…”  Conversely, I hear, “In a few years, I’m afraid I won’t be able to….” Or “what will happen if…?”Continue reading…

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Last Request

“In fact, if you could forget mortality, and that is less easy here than in most places . . . you could really believe that stories change you, enliven you, even send you off: off to a different world; off from your troubles and problems; off to a place where you don’t feel your age, or arthritic pain, or the devil chasing you from behind.” “Okay, Granny, okay!” I interrupt, “I believe you!” My…

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When I Write . . .

When I write I become a svelte, long-lashed, long-haired, long-legged young gypsy. Well, less gypsy, more fortune teller/spiritualist. Continue reading Untitled

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