Saturday, July 7, 2012


Bunker (King of the) HIll


Why do you always get the top bunk?
Because I’m the oldest, that’s why! I get first dibs.

I feel so misunderstood.

More Grandma Time!


Soft like cream
and lively as a fire cracker,
synapses constantly firing
and shooting out her mouth in articulate three-year-old phrases.
Giggles and songs and probably seeds of mathematical genius
all bundled and bubbled in the form of a little girl.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012


Hostile Hostel

Next trip, Gertie, I am definitely not renting a hostel room again.  This overcrowding is ridiculous!
Well, at least there’s more than one bathroom.

Happy July 4th!

Now please don’t burn down my house!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012


I’m a Red Neck





                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I may be red neck, but I still don’t like country.

Monday, July 2, 2012


Greetings!


Hi, how are you?
Not too well, actually. I’ve been fighting headaches all week.
That’s good. Have a nice workout. Let’s work those muscles! No pain, no gain!

Hi there, how’s it goin’ today?
Lousy, and you? I’ve really been struggling with my faith in the face of great difficulty.
Awesome! See ya around.

Good afternoon, can I help you? Need me to check the oil?
Well, really, I just need to sit and talk with someone. I’ve been crying all morning because of a great loss in our family.
Great. Well, just let me know if I can help. . . . Hello, sir, can I help you?

Hi, how are you today?
Not well. I’ve been crying all week, and I’m on the verge of tears right now because life is just so hard sometimes.
Super. Let me ring this up for you, and oh . . . did you find everything you needed?
No.

Sunday, July 1, 2012


Saving the World Piece by Piece


It’s been a rather productive day today.

I have gotten rid of killer asteroids, tornadoes, hurricanes, robberies, floods, funerals, and hanging chads. I dispensed with the Taliban, Y2K, LA gangs, the Iraq War, paparazzi, terrorists, airport screenings, funerals, and Supreme Court rulings. As a bonus I dumped graffiti, AIDS, North Korea, tsunamis, San Fernando Valley secession, West Nile Virus, and Governor Terminator (Maria will be so happy). Now since I am exhausted, I think I will get a cup of organic, free-trade coffee and just pray for world peace.

For years, I clipped out news articles. I’m not sure if it helped me to deal with the trauma of life–perhaps having them contained and labeled made me feel more in control. Perhaps I thought my books would be discovered in a hundred years in my attic and bring my children a fortune on E-bay. Maybe they were to be resources for writing. Whatever my motivation, in tackling my summer project of the reorganization of my office, I decided it was time for the collection to go–all these horrors and atrocities of nature and man. I started to realize that it was almost all bad news. If I need a bad news fix, I can turn on the radio or check the Internet!

I only saved four items. I kept the summary article of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s life and career. I kept it because he came to office when I was a teen; and though he was a Liberal, he wore sandals, spoke French, and was very hip, and so was the first politician I fell in love with. Actually, he’s the only politician I have ever fallen in love with!

I also kept the article about my next door neighbor’s daughter who was working as a bank teller and was shot by a drug-crazed robber. She survived and we all thanked God for His mercy.
I kept the letters to the editor that my English class got published in mass because some of them may be famous some day and remember me. Long shot!

And lastly, I kept the article on Pastor Billy Adams who showed me that a pastor can be strong, loving, consistent, and full of faith even in the many storms of life, in and out of the church. He gave his last sermon at the age of 90, having served 72 years in ministry. That was worth more than all of the fires, elections, divorces, global warming threats, and health epidemics put together!

Now on to world peace . . .