Our maternal grandmother’s heritage was Romanian. Her name was Elizabeth, but she went by what a grandmother in Romania would, bunică, which we pronounced boonie. She was not a tall woman, which she frequently lamented, standing some five-feet four-inches, though she stood above her mother who grew to a scant four-foot ten-inches. Not surprisingly, her mother [...]
When a boy, I helped my father with household projects—I liked being with him and enjoyed discovering how things worked. Yet very young, I had much to learn of the trades practiced by plumber, carpenter, electrician, and so on. I seemed to emerge from womb with a patient manner willing to take time to study situation [...]
This falls into the, “I should have made a better decision”, bin. Yes, I was young and didn’t know how tenacious water can be in finding low ground, but those are excuses. This then is the second story in which I describe how I unwittingly “screwed” my brother. I was driving an old telephone van purchased [...]
When attending university I had little in the way of resources and when, on infrequent occasions, I stepped out for a meal I was selective. At the time I was living in an old apartment building in an artsy neighborhood, whose main street was lined with shops, a nightclub or two, and a restaurant or two. [...]
I believe in was seventh grade when the experiment began. I’m certain there was a professor, the inventor, who sat in an office clad with raised panel mahogany walls who believed he was advancing a generation, and if the stakes were lower you could chalk it up as an interesting study in mass education, but it [...]
I believe I was five when first a member of the animal kingdom joined our family. A neighbor’s cat gave birth to litter and we (brother, sister, and I), pled case our family could do a good deed by taking in one of the new arrivals. Promising we’d take on all duties of care and using [...]
For a twelve year period we owned an Irish wolfhound. Owned is a misnomer of course, as all who have lived with pets can testify. My experience has been animals believe they are equals and behave accordingly. An ancient breed, wolfhounds are gentle, proud, stoic, and confident of their standing. Our Tiggy or Tig, as we [...]
I had recently given up work in the construction field to pursue an engineering degree. My parents wanted me to go to school and put me up to get me started. I drove a Datsun pickup that apart from body ran well and was reliable. Datsun became Nissan and in the ensuing years they, like all [...]
My friend relayed these events many years ago, and though I’ve not remembered every detail as on the day first told, excusing a liberty or two, I believe I’ve captured the gist of it. What transpired is largely true. A small country store stood on a road that saw fair traffic during daylight hours, but did [...]
His wife’s choice to give high school’s flame another chance was a shocking announcement, leaving him alive but lifeless. Post-divorce he tried, not once, but several times to find a woman who would accompany him. With each attempt all started well and then dwindled and ended painfully. “Bless your heart,” the women would say, “you’re so [...]
