I’m spoiled. I’ve seen the country on someone else’s dime, but it very well could have been yours. If so, I thank all of you. I’ve been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, thrice within a month and a half— and I’ve enjoyed every visit. I found the people genuine and the scenery breathtaking (for a kid from the Jagged…
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The Path of Least Resistance
With all the hubbub about the upcoming eclipse and me being so close to the path of totality, you’d think I might get into my truck on Monday and invade some small Maine town with a cup of coffee in hand to catch the moon and sun in their public display of affection. It’s not…
Packing with Mama
I saw my Mama today. I brought my coffee. She’d already had hers. I helped her pack up her favorite piece of leaded stained glass—a loon. It is lovely. She’s been keeping it in a sunny window so the colors pop, but she was worried it might get cracked or broken in the move. She’s…
Too Many to Share
Can you imagine the overwhelming number of photos that today’s twenty-somethings will be able to show their kids in thirty years? I grew up hearing Mom and Dad say, “I remember that picture; where did you find it?” I would listen to their descriptions. They recalled the event because someone else took the photo, and…
Second Chances
I wanted coffee, and while I don’t take sugar, she was sweet. Our exchange, while brief, smacked of a moment in time that wouldn’t have come to mind for any other reason. Most often, I hear phrases that cast a negative shadow over the prospect of the morning, early rising, and the slog that can…
The Bees From Next Door
Bright sunny skies, warm breezes, and smiles were on tap for Monday’s Happy Hour at Chez Ellie. I shut down all the heat sources in the house, opened windows, and swiped right on the sliding window on the screen door that leads to the back deck, saying a hearty yes to cross ventilation. We only…
SNEAKERS
My dad told me a few stories about trudging to school. That’s what dads born before 1945 tended to do. He told me a few times he wore sneakers year-round through the western Maine winters. He explained he had to wear thicker socks in cold weather. Any kid worth his salt on the baseball diamond…
Groceries To Go
It’s a big day. We are going to pick up groceries at two p.m. Some poor kid will wheel them to my truck in the face of frigid wind and stuff the bags in the back. It came to light that I should be quiet about how much I disliked grocery shopping when my server…
Writing Room
My new nest, next door in an empty apartment bedroom, is taking some time to get used to. The Significant One was here last week when I set it up. But I left it for a time to season. She’s back, taking meetings in the dining room, not too far from my most common seat…
A Fable Featuring the Folly of Frequently Falling Frozen Pizza
It’s thrice fallen out of the freezer, regularly rebounding reminders that I’d better eat it. I keep at least one frozen pizza—just in case— at all times. But I only remember because my poorly packed icebox allows it to slide out, crashing to the floor regularly. I slip up occasionally and refer to the freezer…