My journal of big words and pretty pictures
Why do they just come here for drop-offs and kid exchanges? This is a place for fun, for laughter, not for bitch sessions. Gawd! If all they want to do is hurt each other, they can do that in a freakin’ parking lot. Hell, drive vans and only slow down long enough to toss the ankle-biters … Continue reading Playground
I blatantly inspect his table manners. Are his elbows on the table? Does he ham-fist his fork? Does he cut his food into manageable pieces, or just cram chunks in his mouth? Does he talk with his mouth full? Is his napkin on his lap, or tucked under his chin? Does he even use a … Continue reading Passing muster
I am the product of a mixed-marriage. My mother is a southern belle and my father is a damn Yankee. Dad drinks Michelob out of a bottle, and my mother sips sweet tea from a mason jar. She says, "God bless you," and he says, "Gawd dammit!" Unfortunately for them, their romance didn't take the … Continue reading Straddling the Mason/Dixon line
A well-dressed couple sat across the desk from me. I sensed an air of sadness surrounding the man, but the woman's face was a study in emotions - aggravation mixed with glee - like wet confetti at a New Year's Day parade. "What sort of trouble has she gotten into this time?" The woman crossed her … Continue reading Clean up on aisle five
She sits across the table from me, stirring a small teaspoon of artificial sweetener in her orange pekoe. I squeeze a dollop of agave nectar into my red rooibos, letting it melt into the hot liquid. We savor the heady aroma of our brews, silent but still communicating in a way only a parent and … Continue reading Tea and dissidence
“We called him Father, never a childish diminutive like Dad or Daddy. One of the newbies once called him, ‘Pop,’ by accident. Maybe it was a dim memory from his ‘before,’ but Father’s lesson taught him that informal nomenclature was a sign of disrespect, and would be appropriately punished. “It followed that we were each … Continue reading Father
Thin spiral notebook 