Her name was Betty Ruth Flynt but I called her Barf. You can't buy good friends like that--ones who will lovingly call you, "Barf." I figured since I was not allowed to utter the middle name "Ruth," that "Barf" was the next best choice as her initials were just asking for it. Junior High. What … Continue reading A Thousand Little Dots
Arkansas
Trees of Life
To plant a tree is to begin a memory. I'm a big believer in the power of growing plants along with growing the family. A measure of a kid or two or three or four can be marked right along with the rings of a tree I've left here and there across our pathway. And … Continue reading Trees of Life
Francie’s Chicken Salad
She was a tiny little old white-haired lady from New Jersey whose energy defied her age despite her occasional smoking and addiction to daytime television. And she was my first best friend in Arkansas. The memory of how I came to meet Francie is murky but it feels like it was somewhere on the upstairs … Continue reading Francie’s Chicken Salad
Real Estate Bird
Right in the middle of writing a different blog post (a pretty dreary and potentially depressing one) I thought, "Hey, let's lighten things up a bit." We'll start with the basics. Parakeets can talk. And fly. Twelve-year old girls aren't always smart. But they mean well. The summer of 1974 was monumental. We, our giant … Continue reading Real Estate Bird
Under the Dining Room
Fifteen year old girls are not known for their willingness to accept change. I know this because I've been one and I've mothered a few. It's a crummy age to ask certain things of this particular section of the population but life happens within families and sometimes happens in a big way. Occasionally 15-year old … Continue reading Under the Dining Room
Diesel Brakes
For a couple different reasons I'm going to have to drop you right down into the middle of this scene without giving you the background. You can get the prequel later. In 1978 when I was a teenager, we were living on the first floor of an old 5-story hotel building that had been converted … Continue reading Diesel Brakes
