Cicada Summer

Cicada Summer

There he was, stuck to the screen of my door. What was he doing? Thinking? Doubtful. I hear him, these summer nights; he and his family and friends tune up in the darkness, singing their summertime songs, filling the night with their grating sound.  All my life, I called them jar flies, and it was […]

My Point of View

My Point of View

  Just between you, me, and the fence post, I am tired of intrigue and secret maneuvers and people pretending to be what they aren’t. It seems to me that all this running around in circles trying to figure out who one is and what one is, all this bending rules, and saying, “It all […]

Things My Mama Taught Me

Things My Mama Taught Me

  All the good things that I believe and am, came from my parents. And the not-so-good? Well, I’ve  managed those things on my own. This morning I was thinking about things my mother taught me. I had never really tried to itemize them, they were just there. To list them would be like trying […]

Stern, Thorough, Memorable

Stern, Thorough, Memorable

He was stern, thorough, and I still remember him after a distance of several decades. He was a short man, fairly round with a thatch of white hair. He was born and raised in England and he spoke with a British accent. His name was Mr. Stone. He was my first piano teacher. Every week, […]

I Love You, Rudolph; Please Don’t Go

I Love You, Rudolph; Please Don’t Go

  After not watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for a good many years, I watched him again last week. Amazing thing was, I enjoyed that animated show as much as I did the first time I saw it with my son, many years ago. It has a wonderful message. In fact, it has several wonderful messages– […]

A Frog and a Toad and Life

A Frog and a Toad and Life

The adventures of a small, green frog and a little brown toad inspired a generation or two or three of children and they also inspired me. Although a fictional series by Arnold Lobel, these small amphibians taught me some real life lessons I’ve never forgot. In the first place, Frog and Toad were friends and […]