Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Mama had always been a dynamo, often handling two or three tasks at the same time - as women often must. She'd pick tomatoes and some leaf lettuce from the garden as she returned to the house from hanging laundry on the line, and check the oven to see if the bread was done when she got back in the... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
STREET SEEN: YESTERDAY'S LABOR DAY DEMONSTRATION
Watching a news report from the scene of a strike (Hollywood writers) and as the reporter was talking to one of their leaders, protesters backed her up, holding signs and chanting. I noticed a youngish woman in the front row, wearing a red graphic tee. Its message said it all: "Underestimate me. Go... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, September 4, 2023
TV COMMERCIALS: LOVE 'EM OR HATE 'EM...
Among my favorite TV commercials are those "Jake from State Farm" commercials. Their "just like a good neighbor," tagline is comfortable and it sells what they do. The first one I remember featuring Jake was a skit involving a jealous wife who grabs the phone away from her husband, thinking he's... Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, September 3, 2023
CHANGE OF HEART - fragment of a remembered story.
I apologize in advance that I do not know the author's name, the title of the short story, or the when or where I first read it. But today a long-forgotten just-rewards story came to me. It may be a response to my disgust at the misogyny and cruelty toward the people he's supposed to represent, but... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, September 2, 2023
UPS SOMETIMES DROPS OFF THE WRONG PACKAGE...
Working on crocheting a "Hershey's kiss" hat when the doorbell rings. I see there's someone on the porch. Thinking Jehovah's Witnesses are out early, I hurry to the door to find a UPS guy heading down the walk to his van. I grab the package - it's for the guy in the next block, same house #, but on... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, September 1, 2023
SONG LYRICS FROM THE 1950S
Wanda Jackson sang it first, it was later recorded by Linda Ronstadt in the late '60s. Partial lyrics: "Silver threads and golden needles cannot mend this heart of mine And I dare not drown my sorrow in the warm glow of your wine. Oh, you think I should be happy with your money and your fame and... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, August 31, 2023
A bit from "Patchwork" (Grandma Patch's memoir)
Back in the mid '40s when our little family still lived on the fringes of Kennewick in southeastern Washington state, Mama bought a house at auction and had it moved to her lot in the low-lying area below the Horse Heaven hills. It fronted the highway that ran between Kennewick and Richland/Hanford,... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
TWILIGHT ZONE, ALFRED HITCHCOCK, TALES FROM THE GRIM SIDE
The thread of this story unwinds from a deeply disturbed idea. Mrs. Dexter owns the Main Street Cafe, a struggling business at the edge of Skid Row. She's working hard, but expenses keep going up. Profits go down. She has to lay off her extra lunch-hour waitress. She's at the end of her rope. And... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
THE LYRICS AS I REMEMBER THEM
"Slow down, ya move too fast. Got to make the morning last. Ain'tcha got some rhymes for me? Lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy." Whose song was this? Performers? When was it popular? Trying to distract myself from worrying about the storms in Florida. We have friends in southern Florida, my... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, August 28, 2023
New Adventures of The Backyard Squirrels
Rich brought a bag of peanuts in the shell a few days ago, and I scattered them beside the maple tree out front. This morning I spotted a new squirrel there, snatching one and heading for the safety of a limb to work on it. This little guy wasn't Itchy or Roscoe or any of the old Brick Street troop.... Sign in to see full entry.