It’s easy to scatter but hard to gather: Celebrating Mother Earth every day

Earth Day comes but once a year, but my mother, Helen, practiced the three R's of environmentalism -- reduce, reuse, and recycle -- every day.Case in point: egg cartons. They are perfect for holding jewelry. An empty 12-egg carton cushions a dozen pairs of earrings beautifully, so Mom kept her earrings in several custom-crafted boxes. … Continue reading It’s easy to scatter but hard to gather: Celebrating Mother Earth every day →

New Role: Caregiver of Memories

I grappled with each emotion, one by one. It made no sense to feel like an abandoned orphan, but emotions don't always make sense. I talked to other late-in-life orphans and found that their emotions mirrored mine. Turns out, I wasn't so crazy when I longed to give my mother one more hug. I just missed the woman who always chatted with me when I came home from school and who enjoyed making and eating just-baked treats by Mrs. Goodcookie with me. I was normal!

A birthday note to Ed, the baseball fan

Guess what, Dad! Baseball season started yesterday -- the same day as your birthday. You would have been 94 years old. I never realized the two milestones frequently coincided until Jim pointed it out this weekend, but I imagine you appreciated it. Many of my memories of you relate to baseball. For instance, I remember … Continue reading A birthday note to Ed, the baseball fan →