All throughout the oppressive southern summer, I look forward to the -ber months. Starting in September, fall is on my mind, in spite of the heat and humidity that linger in Arkansas. I begin decorating the house with leaves, pumpkins, scarecrows, and Halloween fare at the first of the month, and for the last few
Category: Essays
The way I see it, the incident was all Lucy’s fault. Sis has to be carried down the three back steps to our patio to get to the backyard to go potty. She can come back up on her own, so after someone carries her down, we leave the door – which is covered with
As anyone who knows me is aware, we have three dogs. We adopted two alleged chihuahuas (the jury is still out on Bubby’s pedigree) – as my consolation prize for having had cancer in 2012 after my active treatment had ended. Bubby and Sleepy Ben – nee Isabella, nee Gabby (long story) were my reward
It has been and continues to be a long, hot, dreary summer. With temperatures even hotter than usual for the hell scape that is the south in the summer, Covid variants continually lurking in the background, and the stressors and strains of everyday life, Sarah and I wanted a change of pace took an end
A few weekends ago, Trever, Sarah, and I decided to take a little weekend trip up to the cabin. The vacation cabin in North Arkansas that my parents purchased in 2018 and completely renovated was a godsend during the first summer and fall of the pandemic but we haven’t been up there as much the
Blue Ridge Vacation Day One: Family Vacation Redefined Over the past few years our family dynamic has changed for a few reasons. My father died in 2020; our girls are both young adults now, and recently our youngest daughter made some changes which included starting a new job and getting ready to move out on
Ann Reeves Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, Juliet Calhoun Blakely, Mary Towles Sasseen, Frank Hering, Anna Maria Jarvis. These women (and man!) all played pivotal roles in establishing Mother’s Day as we know it today. The second Sunday in May has been observed as Mother’s Day in the United States since 1914, following several years of
Bathhouse Row. Oaklawn. The Spa City. Corruption. Organized Crime. Lakes. Music Mountain. All are synonymous with Hot Springs, Arkansas. A city of around 40,000 people which is also a designated national park in the midst of the Ouachita Mountains, Hot Springs has a rich history with a tourism industry that continues to this day. During
I don’t remember the exact year. Abby was young enough she still believed in the Easter Bunny, Santa, the Tooth Fairy…all of those things that make childhood magical. We had delayed dying Easter eggs until the night before for whatever reason. I was drinking that night – wine? Spiced rum? I can’t remember. It doesn’t
I have always been a bit of a pluviophile. While others bask in the sun, I enjoy a nice overcast situation, a steady rain, and even the occasional rumble of thunder – preferably without severe weather. However, as I have gotten older, I find that “rainy days and Mondays” are getting me down. Especially sequential