When I was a child, my parents held out to me the example of an excellent and dedicated writer, my great-grandfather, Arthur Gray Staples. My mother, a Pulitzer-Prize winning poet herself, told me many stories of his life in Maine, in the early 1900's, as the editor-in-chief of the Lewiston Evening Journal, which was considered one of the most prestigious on the East Coast. In addition to running … [Read more...]
Pack Rat? Or Purger?…sorting out the trash from the treasure.
I am standing in my attic, looking at the precarious piles of banker's boxes stacked toward the roof, the five chests of Christmas ornaments, the over-sized carton of old wrapping paper and bows. The yellowed art prints, the discarded lamps, and the spotted mirrors. All the stuff of years past. So many things I should have already thrown away or donated to a charity. Yes, I confess I am a pack … [Read more...]
Cooking It Forward
How do you express your love? Some people rely on a Valentine's dinner, or reveal their feelings with a supportive word and a tender embrace. Others show their affection by cooking a meal for those they care about. I am, unabashedly, one of the latter. During my childhood, love was often overshadowed by my mother's mental illness. Every day, my father tried to combat that darkness by coming home … [Read more...]
Big Presents In Little Packages
Does every important present come in a big package? The answer just might be “no.” At this season, most of us are looking for the ultimate gift, ready to give whatever we can dream up and afford, hoping to please the ones we love. Or, at least, I am.This morning, my son answered an email from me, one in which I had mentioned his Christmas list. To my surprise, he didn’t tell me what was on that … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 9
- Next Page »
