It’s that time of year, when ghosts and goblins and princesses and ninjas roam our neighborhoods, knocking on doors and taking away our candy. We get precious few trick-or-treaters where I live—largely hemmed in by an expressway on one side, major streets on two others, and a cul-de-sac to boot. So Halloween is often a disappointing affair marked by only a handful of visitors to our door. Continue reading
Driving across Missouri on the way from Chicago to California, I was struck by the lush, green, undulating landscape—small mountains and huge forests, gorges, rivers and creeks. The land was dotted with horse farms and lovely dilapidated barns, and decorated with billboards and fireworks superstores. Wednesday gave us the infamous fudge billboard; highlights Thursday included Ozarkland billboards tantalizing passersby with every imaginable kind of candy (plus moccasins!) and a series of ads for a Precious Moments complex I hadn’t known existed. Continue reading
We had game night at our house on Friday. We do this periodically, getting friends together for a night of board games—sometimes old adults (my husband’s and my friends), sometimes young adults (my son and friends), sometimes both together. This was just young adults, and it was an unusual gathering: It was the last before my son moves out of my house. Continue reading
National Book Lovers Day was this week (Thursday, Aug. 9), and Escape into Life asked on Facebook what people were reading. The answers came back in wide variety, and mine was The Monk of Mokha, by Dave Eggers, plus a whole lot of poetry. I might write about The Monk of Mokha when I’ve finished it (suffice to say now that I’m enjoying it). For now, I want to give the poetry its due.
I don’t read poetry every day of my life, and sometimes I go fairly long periods without reading any. For the last few months, though, I’ve had it open regularly and often read myself to sleep with it. Here are books that have stood out: Continue reading
My week started with a reunion of four college roommates, one of whom lives half a planet away in New Zealand.
The newest additions to my family arrived from England for a visit. My adult son met his newest cousin.
A friend retired from work after 43 years (and oh, yes, I’m definitely envious.)
The great blue heron (a great blue heron) returned to the pond outside my office for a visit.
I spotted two enormous hawks flying low one morning on my way to work. Continue reading
