Month: July 2022

                The ominous brain-tickling COVID-19 test swab finally caught me. The first time it threatened my nasal cavities came on a holiday weekend when Hubby could not get warm. I tried to get him a quick COVID-19 test. “We can’t test you until after the holiday.” He felt sick. I slept a bit more the next…

America has no royalty, but it does have dozens of castles, big, little, old and new. I discovered one via Facebook and suggested we include it on our summer trip. We left the Interstate for Loveland, Ohio, following the GPS which took us to a sharp turn at the top of a steep road. “Do…

                “How in the world did we end up with four queen sized air mattresses?” I asked after we emptied the crawl space over the garage. I stared at the mound of camping equipment on the garage floor where we usually parked the minivan.              “I guess we bought one every time we needed one. The…

Funerals and family filled our Fourth of July weekend. Yes, I did say funerals. Two aunts died this spring. Both lived hours away from family burial plots in the farming district of upstate New York. Since few could afford to travel the distance twice, the families planned the funerals on Saturday and Sunday. Various family…

 I used to tough my way through bruises and illnesses. “You fell down. Well stand up and brush yourself off, you’ll be okay.” You have a cold? “Rub on some Vicks and make sure you have a handkerchief. You’ll get better.” As an adult, I ignored back aches and headaches. Or at least I did…

Listening to the audio book “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President” by Candice Millard as we drove north to see family, we knew we had to detour to Mentor, Ohio and visit the presidential library of James Garfield, our 20th president. Garfield served only six months…

            A bright spot of joy left our family recently when my Aunt Erma slipped into eternity last week.  She married Bert, my dad’s twin brother, and settled onto his family farm. My mom and aunt often visited. Toward the end one visit, Aunt Erma exclaimed, “Whew! I don’t know when I have talked this much!”…