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I was so stunned, I didn’t even think to take pictures. We had been on vacation for a week. My daughter had left her Rollerblades on a chair on our back porch; they’d been there for weeks, if not months, and she had outgrown them. I should have simply thrown them out, I suppose. But […]
I know why you’re here. You have questions, right? Too many loose ends, too many incomplete stories. You tried connecting the dots, but you need more info. You want some answers, and you want them now. Fair enough. You’ve come to the right place. It’s my job to tell you what you want to know […]
My Furred and Feathered Friends My friend Michael P. is at war with a squirrel he’s named the Dark Lord SquirrelRon. I am somewhat more amused by my own garden squirrels; after all, being an amateur gardener, I view their thieving mischief as high compliments. I caught three of them rolling ecstatically in the damp […]
gardening, gasteracantha cancriformis, spiders, spring, writing
I’m Apeksha Rao, a YA author from India, and I’m here to talk to you about my debut novel, Along Came A Spyder.
We mothers – we are merely rudders, guiding our children’s ships through the storms and over the turbulent seas of life – we guide them as steadily and as best we can, but we are not the only influence that determines the outcome of the journey… Who am I today? I am a woman, a […]
It is a poorly-kept secret that I have been writing “elsewhere” and not on this blog, the last couple of weeks. My friend Rasheed Hooda, who once declared me Queen of the No-Niche Bloggers, likes to do to me what I so blithely do to others. Like the Pied Piper, but instead of a flute […]
Flipboard is a place to discover and share content you enjoy. Here’s how to use it.
I finally started using Microsoft’s Snip & Sketch utility – the coming replacement for the old Snipping Tool in Windows. You can open it from the Start menu or Windows Logo Key + Shift +S. If you don’t have it already, download it from the Microsoft Store. It’s free, and it’s convenient. I was resistant, […]
a2z, atozchallenge, configure, how to, snip and sketch, windows
Oh, don’t look at me like that. Liam’s a housefly, and it was a mercy killing. While we’re at it, Liam’s not his real name. His real name is Musca Domestica, or Murf, for short. At least that’s what it sounded like as I smooshed him with the wooden blinds. “Murrrrf.” And don’t think I […]
If there is one good thing to come out of a global crisis like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease now known as “COVID-19,” it is that we are all in it together. Not that I’d wish the misery of anxiety, fear, isolation, illness, and death on my worst enemy, but that we all […]
a2z, atozchallenge, emotions, entertainment, feelings, global, health, pandemic
I hadn’t thought about cotyledons since Botany class, when I was 15 or so. I probably wouldn’t have thought of the word “cotyledon” at all, unless there was a Lima bean attached, growing in a medium of tap water and cheap paper towels. Here are some fun things to do, regardless of your age. Homeschoolers, you’re welcome.
botany, dicotyledons, gardening, homeschooling, learning, plants
We meet with stark denial The unspeakable unknown. A dire dullness creeps, Settles, swaths in sleep A dawning, drowning Dismal truth. Wild-eyed the urge To turn the page, to skim To skip ahead, past present Pandemic plodding (Just a peek!) To find out how it ends. Who cares? Who cares. Read slowly, savor sunshine. Put […]
a2z, atozchallenge, dire, pandemic, poem
I am a huge fan of “novelty songs” and satire. “Fish Heads” was never my favorite Dr. Demento hit, but the story of how it became a hit at all just tickles my funny bone. If you’ve never heard Barnes & Barnes “Fish Heads,” watch the video below. After you’ve recovered from the “What the […]
a2z, atozchallenge, competition, creativity, inspiration, playfulness
It’s easy to write “100 Things About Me.” But almost a dozen years ago, I was challenged to write “100 Good Things About Me.” Let this serve as an introduction to newcomers, here, as well as a list of affirmations. If you prefer a visual intro, click here. When you’re done reading, why not write […]
I don’t sew. Or didn’t, Though I bought a machine: A nice, beginner-level sewing machine, along with some “how-to” books. They all wanted me to make a drawstring bag. I have no use for drawstring bags; Seems like a waste of time and cotton. But idle hands, make idle minds; That dive down rabbit holes. And […]
a2z, atozchallenge, masks, PPE, sewing
Steel-gray, the morning sky, done with night’s temper tantrum, spent, resigned itself to quiet weeping. Joy, sapped of strength and spirit, lay lifeless on a disheveled bed, clothed in crimson. “Why are they still here?” Anger seethed, and gnashed his teeth, unable to look at his son and daughter. He tossed a bag of coins […]
Not gonna lie. Having my first post on Imgur go “Most Viral” (in a good way!) in under two hours was kind of fun. OK, Doomer
When emotions run high, behavior online can become aggressive and hurtful. Guest writer John Henry has some ideas how to reduce that.
aggression, incivility, politics, social media, society, support
I have a love-hate relationship with poetry, including my own. Too much of it is contrived, precious, melodramatic, and affected. This one, though, makes me laugh, and maybe cements my claim to being the only person who’s written a poetic ode to roadkill in sonnet form.
Having grown up with unruly twin brothers whose tall tales were as hilarious as their lies were pellucid, she was more than a match for this lot, but they mustn’t see her crack a smile, let alone laugh.
“Normally timorous Tilly” may steal your heart, then shatter it. But don’t let that stop you from reading this short, short story and cheering her on.
When all you can see is red, it’s easy enough to focus – but hard to clear your mind of all thought and meditate.
For every tall tale on the Internet, there’s a back story. It doesn’t always have a happy ending.
For years, I’ve meant to celebrate Burns Night. What self-respecting poet, descended of proud Scots, could resist? All I know is that it involves haggis, bagpipes, and poetry. I’m all in. Just one small problem: I’ve never tried haggis, let alone cooked it.
Burns Night, chieftan, culinary adventures, haggis, offal, Rabbie Burns
If the shoe fits, wear it. Otherwise, accept that there are other feet it fits, and help find them nicer shoes.
Rated PG-13 for mild, groan-worthy sexual references. No acts of violence were commited with the tuna fork.
a/s/l, hot chat, humor, morf, online pickup lines, rule 34, sex
A poem, inspired by Ojibwe legend and art, dreams and nightmares, and the tiny little weavers I’ve grown to respect.
child, daughter, dreamcatcher, legend, legends, mother, native american, ojibwe, poem, protection, spider woman
I don’t like limits. I’m good at commitment, when it matters. But, pay attention: the word, for 2020, is “observant.” Read closely; there may be a quiz, later, Watson.
observant, observe, oneword365, word of the year, woty, woty2019
Has a 40-year-long quest for the PERFECT hot and sour soup come to an end, finally – in MY kitchen?
If ever there was a reason to resurrect Pinterest Fail, this would be it.
