The Optimist and the Pessimist on The Perennial Gen Site
We’re coming down the home stretch, splitting and stacking wood from the tree downed by Hurricane Michael. Our deck is clean, and repairs are under way. And Heathcliff is recovering well from last Wednesday’s surgery for the torn cruciate ligament in his right...
What fell in the night
When Heathcliff and I rounded the driveway switchback last Friday morning, we encountered a walk-stopping barrier. Sometime between our evening and morning strolls, half of a large bifurcated-trunked oak had fallen across the driveway. Heathcliff sniffed and...
I love a backyard, country wedding
Keith and I saw balloons attached to signs, pointing to a gravel driveway. We pulled next to vehicles already parked on the side lawn. Our carpenter had purchased the house several months ago, and now he was getting married. In the backyard, folding chairs and...
Life doesn’t always give us what we expect
Sunshine returned to Vanaprastha on Friday morning, so I decided to feed the dogs outside. Unbeknownst to me, the past several days’ rain had created the perfect environment for mossy slime to grow on the north side of the deck, like moss growing on the north side...
Just because you usually do the dishes doesn’t mean it’s your job
I hear the sound of Freya panting and her toenails click-clicking toward my side of the bed. The clock reads 3:30 am. It’s pitch dark and drizzling outside. Freya’s gut is in distress again, but her meds haven’t kicked in yet. She doesn’t want to mess in the house....
No more chasing critters for Heathcliff
I heard a bark outside the basement door—Heathcliff returning from his evening stroll. As our dog hobbled across the man cave floor, my husband Keith said, “Oh, Heathcliff, what have you done to yourself?” The hero of my recent Brevity blog post was a three-legged...