Some time after my mom died, I received a wonderful present from my cousin Linda, daughter of one of my mom’s younger sisters. It may have been a phone call, or a conversation during one of my visits to my home state in the Midwest; I can’t recall. Her gift of words about my mom […]

Do you know any teenage girl who wants to ask her mother for advice? I have known a few, but I was not one of them. I was a private person. It was difficult to open myself up to people my own age. Why would I ask my mother anything about clothes, friendships, boys (you’ve […]

I worked hard the past several months to prepare to travel and take time away from my home in Maine. I’ve rented my condo and now stay in a flat in Glasgow. I’ll be here two months, to settle my mind before I move on elsewhere. Or I may return to Portland after I leave […]

It seemed like a “forever ride” for a boy of 4 or 5 whenever we struck out for Starks. Of course, this was decades prior to the transformation of Harry Brown’s farm into an infamous marijuana party place. Back then it was just another of the landmarks meaning we had almost arrived at Grandpa’s and […]

“Mom, do I have to wear my boots today?” When I used to ask Mom that question 50 years ago, she knew what a big pain it was to put them on. They really were galoshes, and if they were the least bit tight, we had to sit down on the floor and pull them […]

It was January 2000. Sister Deb and I were visiting our parents. The Saturday morning ritual was, butts in the car at 7:30 to go out to breakfast. Lollygaggers were left behind to eat cold cereal. It was our parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Months earlier, we had asked Dad what he thought of a party […]