Despite my best intentions, and other lies I tell myself
Between rain showers, I’m in the meadow, pulling weeds. Usually my quota is one large scrub-bucket then quit for the day. Now I carry wet, muddy armloads and dump piled-high buckets full into the surrounding woods. Our meadow has become home to some of the tallest...
Summer Ends, Fall Begins
What’s on today’s menu? Barbecued ham, whipped potatoes, and veggies—a picnic on the dining deck later this afternoon. I remember neighborhood picnics on the 4th of July and Labor Day, the official opening and closing of summer in Connecticut. Very few braved a...
A Guest Post on Brevity
Bonus today! Here's a guest blog post published on Brevity and starring our dog Heathcliff: https://brevity.wordpress.com/2018/08/29/finding-your-essay/ Enjoy!...
Your Dark and Stormy Night
You say goodbye to a former neighbor, having enjoyed dinner together, and dash to your truck. Rainfall has shifted from drizzle to downpour. You switch from 2- to 4-wheel-drive. Dusk descends into the darkest of nights. You are driving to another friend’s house...
What Am I Here After?
Last week, I had an opportunity to look back at an essay I’d written three years ago. I had been so proud of it, otherwise I wouldn’t have submitted it for publication. It got rejected and for good reason. Yikes. Reading that essay was like wandering into a Bed...
Revision Times Infinity
Torrential rain coursed the down mountain yesterday afternoon here at Vanaprastha, creating rivulets along the driveway. This morning, I went out to assess the damage and rake gravel into the erosive paths. Every few years, we hire our landscaper to grade and...