As a little girl, my nickname was Baldy. It seems that as a toddler, I contracted some kind of head rash that meant cutting off all of my hair. So, Baldy became what people called me, from aunts and uncles to neighbors. I must have been in the third or fourth grade before I even... Continue Reading →
When Getting Old Isn’t Pretty
I was a teenager during the 1960s when the world was changing rapidly. I witnessed the Flower Power movement, protests against the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Gay and Lesbian Movement. I was a feminist before I had a name for it. As a girl who had to clean house after school,... Continue Reading →
Unsolicited Advice or Opinions Get My Goat
One thing that bothers me is unsolicited opinions on my behavior. Social media is packed with it, and the ability to remain anonymous has increased the rate of unsolicited opinions given in such hateful and unloving ways to people they don't even know. I don't like it when people think they have the right to... Continue Reading →
Krispy Kreme Donuts Should Come with a Health Warning on the Box!
Krispy Kreme should have a warning on the box, similar to those for gambling and cigarettes, that alerts consumers to the addictive nature of the food, especially when hot. I don't think anything has been more irresistible to me than those donuts. Once, I went to buy donuts for the whole family, which included nine... Continue Reading →
The Year as a Secret Crush Brought Me Joy and Connected Me with Humanity
His name was Lester, and he was a year ahead of me in school. I looked up his family's number in the White Pages (which tells you how long ago). I asked to speak to him, and when he answered, we talked for nearly an hour. Then he had to go to bed. He kept... Continue Reading →
I Nearly Lost My Favorite Thing about Me, My Smile, in a Fall in Europe
Daily writing promptWhat’s your favorite thing about yourself?View all responses Matosinhos Beach, Porto, Portugal, June 2025 In the first week of our vacation to Europe this year, I was at the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. I was taking photos of the greenhouse when I slipped and fell hard to the ground. I chipped a... Continue Reading →
Queenie is the Only Acceptable Change to My Name!
Daily writing promptIf you had to change your name, what would your new name be?View all responses We took an Uber back to our daughter’s house in Porto, Portugal on Wednesday, because we had walked across the port bridge to get to the beach. I found out it was a bridge that opened about half... Continue Reading →
Having It All Depends on How You Define “All”
Daily writing promptWhat does "having it all" mean to you? Is it attainable?View all responses What is considered all for me may be different from how my husband defines all. For instance, we are traveling right now, and in Vienna and Budapest, I was content with two attractions a day with a day of rest... Continue Reading →
Making Sacrifices for Others Can Change Your Life for the Better
People were shocked that I would give up being childless and supposedly free to do anything I wanted to raise my late sister’s four children. However, making the sacrifices of time, money, and love was the best decision of my life. I was headed to an early grave, drinking beer and playing cards all day.... Continue Reading →
New Year’s Day Gives Us 365 New Chances to Hope
Daily writing promptWhat is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?View all responses I love New Year's Day. It is a day when you realize the old year has finally passed. Just maybe this one will be better! So, a new year signals opportunities for change and new beginnings. If the previous year was... Continue Reading →
Help from Heaven 