Becoming a widow leaves me with an extraordinary amount of time. The Before Time I…
Changing Lives 4: Eclipsing the Past
It is April 8th. This morning I meet with Dan’s estate attorney, Bob Blue, at 10:30 am to finish up details. This afternoon, Turning Leaf ladies come by to “stage” the house for the estate sale that will take place this coming Friday and Saturday. And, of course, the...
Changing Lives 3: Vodka Before One
Of all the challenges posed by closing down Aberdeen and opening up Boston, clearing the refrigerators, freezers and pantries has got to be the worst. So much gets thrown out. So much perfectly good food goes to waste and ultimately creates methane over at the dump....
Changing Lives 2: Doorbells
Back somewhere around 1975, my boyfriend David gave me a Swiss Army knife. He made quite a big deal of its utility, and, honestly, he was right about that. He wasn’t right about much, but he was right about that. Phantom Peals Yesterday the doorbell, a bit of Ring...
Changing Lives 1: Out With The Old
No one asked me, but if they did, this is what I would say. “On your 50th birthday, stop collecting stuff. Immediately. Tell friends and family members that from here on in, you only want comestibles or donations made in your honor. No stuff. No tchotchkes. No...
The General Election is November 5, 2024
I now have my guidance for 2024: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. My goal is to arrive at Wednesday, November 6, assured that Sweet Rhyme and Pure Reason have been returned to the Kingdom of Wisdom. I want to know that the Demons populating the Mountains of...
Happy Birthday To Me
A fine January 5th, cold, a little windy, just what I would expect in Boston. I had an appointment with Adam at The Charles Realty scheduled for eleven o’clock. Otherwise my day was my own. Old South Old South Church is only a couple doors down from the hotel, on the...
Boston, Home Again
The omens were mixed for this trip. I almost missed the exit to 895 as I was driving south on I-95. I headed to the bus stop at long-term parking at BWI, nearly forgetting my suitcase. The Southwest flight took off about 20 minutes after it was supposed to have landed...
Christmas Letter 2023
The most difficult change has occurred, as I have pondered for the last six months in this blog. Dan’s struggle with kidney failure and other chronic illnesses came to an end on June 6. It wasn’t something unexpected. I had a sense of being ready. I don’t think,...