• One of My Favorite ‘It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over’ Examples

      While it always saddens me when my virtual life is neglected, I can’t mourn it too much when the neglect stems from a flurry of activity in my here-and-now life.  That is to say:  we have visitors this weekend, as we did last weekend. This time, our pals Virginia and Kirsten are visiting from southern

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  • Just Read the Eudora Welty Story Already

    Summer session began last week, and I was immediately reminded that the nub of my job is closing gaps.  For everyone, college does some bridging:  from past to future; from who one was to who one wants to be; from never having had a beer to imbibing a twelve-pack every Monday (“Rock ON, dudes!  Chug for Monday Madness!”). 

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  • My Breast Hath All Those Pieces Still

      A brief summary, in case you’ve been spending so many hours cruising awkwardfamilyphotos.com and bluntcard.com that you were too pressed for time to read the last few posts: So I had a break-up, and it took the stuffing out of me, and I cried a lot; and then I had another break-up, which really

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  • Nothing Can to Nothing Fall (Part III of III)

    (continued from the last post): Once I was plainly dumped, all the energy that hadn’t known where to land during the course of our relationship stopped spinning around up in the air. It came crashing down, thundering in like a freight train. I couldn’t fall asleep at night; to feel as though I had company,

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  • Nothing Can to Nothing Fall (Part II of III)

      Continuing where the last post left off: Essential to my ultimate disintegration was the beauty of our beginning. For the next few months, I drove to his house—nearly two hours away—at least once a week. He made me feel doted upon, as though I was the final piece to his life’s puzzle. Simultaneous to

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  • Nothing Can to Nothing Fall (Part I of III)

    Even as it was happening, I didn’t realize we were breaking up. This time, I missed it because I was too busy cataloguing evidence that we were “together.” Certainly, I had acted the part. I drove once, twice, each week the two hours to his place. Once there, I shared his bed, made meals, answered

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  • At One First Blow Did Shiver It As Glass

      Even as it was happening, I didn’t know we were breaking up. What I did know was that my guts roiled whenever I thought about him coming home. I’d had four months alone, living in that house, making new friends, starting a new job—while he lived an hour and a half north, living there,

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  • Meanwhile, While the Kid and I Were Listening to ‘New York, New York’ and Eating Toasty Cheese…”

      “A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was” –Joseph Hall My husband recently comprehended the richness of life in a way that would have defied planning. By accompanying our daughter’s 4th grade class on a three-day field trip to the regional

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  • Start Spreadin’ the News

      A few weeks ago, my husband and daughter went on a three-day field trip with her 4th grade, leaving Paco and me rattling around the house with nothing but matches and beer to amuse ourselves. Nominally the adult, and in an effort to avoid situations requiring bail money, I decided to label our time together as Paco and Mamma’s Glitter-Filled

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  • That Gentle Rustle You Hear? It’s the Sound of Monet Rolling Over in His Grave

      “I love this place,” breathed Paco, looking around in wonder. “There are zombies and aliens everywhere.” Of course there were. We were at the end-of-semester community college art show. Speeding up to a trot, Paco cruised down the concourse, calling, “Hurry up! Here’s a Super Mario made out of mosaics! Come ON. You won’t

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