In October of 2000, my parents came up to Whitman for the very last parents’ weekend of my college career. On Saturday, instead of exploring the borough of Walla Walla (we’d exhausted that possibility during the previous three years) we drove out of town, pointing the car towards Dayton, WA. Dayton is a […]

Tonight I spent some time with two ancient sewing baskets. I took advantage of my quiet Sunday evening to finally (it only took me six months) fix the hem on what had been a favorite pair of black pants, repair a tiny hole in a thriftstore sweater and make shorter a pair of brown […]

I’m tired and my feet hurt from dancin’, but it’s been a good day.
(In reverse order)
I danced my tush off on the 33rd floor of the Lowes Hotel.
I attended the wedding of friends who are deeply in love.
I hung with the Philly bloggers for an hour at the November meetup at Fergie’s.
I decorated the bedroom […]

Yes, it’s that time again, when I hit shuffle on the Pod and tell you all what the first ten songs to tumble to the top of the list are. I’m a little groggy at the moment due to a head of novacaine and a recently filled cavity, so please excuse the rambling. […]

Until she met my father, my mother had never touched blonde hair. She said that for the first months they were together, my dad’s fair skin and straight hair were completely alien to her. It was a continuing marvel to her that hair could grow like that, silky and ruler-straight. She grew […]

My expected crowd for my Walmart movie showing did not materialize, but instead of feeling sad, I’m grateful. I got to spend the time before the movie getting to know Marius and Marta. They are a couple who live in my building who moved to Philadelphia 6 years ago from Argentina. They […]

There was a woman sitting on a bench in the trolley stop this morning, with a Little Mermaid sleeping bag spread neatly out underneath her. She was in stocking feet, and as I walked by she stretched and yawned, like she had just had a restful night on the bench. Oblivious to all […]

Twenty years ago today, my mom filled on round pan with cake batter. When baked all the way through, she took the single layer out of the big white gas stove (with the built-in griddle in the center), cut it down the middle, frosted the half moon of cake and presented it to me with […]

My grandparents’ liquor cabinet has smelled the same as long as I can remember. It is a combination of the candy covered chocolate mints they used to put out for guests, bourbon and old wood. Whenever we would come to visit, as soon as the adults weren’t looking, my sister would make a […]

Last night I dreamt I was sitting on the floor of a thrift store, in front of a bookshelf. I was looking at children’s books, when I pulled out a manila pocket folder that was tucked in between the tattered editions of Dr. Seuss. I turned the folder upside down, and out poured […]