Sep 7, 2022The Struggle is Real But Not a Badge of HonorFirst, let me offer an example of the kind of struggle I’m referencing in this piece: a half gallon of spilled milk that the drips over the edge and through the cracks of the table, that splatters on fresh clothes as your toddler slaps the growing white pool with glee…Struggle4 min readStruggle4 min read
Aug 31, 2022Monday Morning Blue ChipI’m writing a series of novels: the Seeking Scylla series. Some characters dance on the edges of the narratives. Some never make it in. In Beyond Scylla blogs, I share stories and vignettes about these characters. Monday Morning Blue Chip Jack shuffles to his truck, balancing himself on his swollen ankles. …Alcoholism3 min readAlcoholism3 min read
Aug 27, 2022Firsts and AnniversariesThey say firsts are hard. Last month, we had the first big first: mom and dad’s wedding anniversary. Their 66th. Would have been? Was? How do you count it now that mom is gone? In some sort of past impossible could have been tense or parallel? …Grief2 min readGrief2 min read
Aug 17, 2022Authors and AlgorithmsWe toss around the word algorithm with a frequency that suggests familiarity and understanding. …Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Jul 29, 2022On Covid BrainDid you do anything out of the ordinary on Covid brain? Dodging the bug had pretty much become a point of pride for me: I’m careful, but also, I think my blood type…. The Pandemic and Me I don’t say it out load often because the pandemic has been very bad for very many. …Writer Retreats3 min readWriter Retreats3 min read
Jul 6, 2022On the Corner of Availability and SerenityI went to my first Al-Anon meeting last night. I’m finding my place on the corner of availability and serenity. I bought the books, listened, took notes. My first takeaway was that the Al-Anon signage and mantras are useful for understanding much more than that single disease. …Al Anon2 min readAl Anon2 min read
Jul 1, 2022The Other Side of GoodbyeDeath is more than a goodbye. The experience is all the things that lead up to that final breath and the things we carry forward. The experience is also the other side of goodbye. Goodbye — from godbwye, a contraction of God be with ye from 16th century English —…Death6 min readDeath6 min read
Jun 21, 2022Good Enough[We knew we were entering the Valley of Peace a week before. She is at peace now.] A good enough moment Mom took her last breath at 9:40 a.m. Monday June 13. The time is not precise, the moment wasn’t perfect. They were good enough. Dad was working on the well pump. I was…Dying5 min readDying5 min read
Jun 2, 2022Invisible to Everyone ElseI sit on my porch after mowing all the yards and I see it, a patch in my back yard that I missed. It’s hardly noticeable, probably invisible to everyone else, but from this angle and because I was the one who missed it, I see it. I squirm in…Alzheimers3 min readAlzheimers3 min read
May 27, 2022Going HomeI spent a week at home. I’m going home today. Home. It’s a tricky word. Maybe I’m polydomestic? I am at home -truly at home- in multiple places. I never love leaving, but I have learned that leaving is okay, because I am at home at either house. I’ve been…Alzheimers3 min readAlzheimers3 min read
