Month: June 2006

  • Taking down the treed cat

    Cat owners desperately want to help their treed pets. Ken Sinclair of Portland, Ore., climbed 30 feet into a fir to rescue his kitten, Breather. The cat came down on his own. Sinclair had to be saved by firefighters, according to an Associated Press story last week. I understand Sinclair’s impulse. We had not seen…

  • wheel chair lessons

    The day my dad’s aging body forced him to take a seat was the day our wheelchair education began. Shortly after he settled into the chair, our children visited. As he rested on his bed, they plopped down in his chair, pushing it back and forth with their feet chatting until one ventured down the…

  • car sold as a prank

    My daughter had such an unusual experience last week, that I asked her to relate it to you. I’m going to get you back for that,” Haley murmured. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll believe it when I see it,” I glibly responded. Besides, it was a mistake. I didn’t purposefully put gum in her hair. Not really,…

  • visitors leave their mark

    The house looks like a college dorm. Towels drape over the corners of the bedroom and closet doors. Neat piles of papers have staked a claim on the dining room table. A case of Ramen noodles is stashed in the kitchen cupboard. A mountain bike leans against the fence. Birkenstocks sandals trip me up as…

  • where did the party go?

    breaking with my usual submissions to this blog, I report on a message we heard over the scanner this morning. “Keep your eyes open for a party barge. It is 40 feet long by 15-20 feet wide. Pink top and orange sides with grey stripes. It is lost or stolen.” For once, the scanner squawk…

  • traveling adventures

    Giggles, laughter, squeals of delight rang through the car last weekend as we traveled in upstate Arkansas with two little girls. “Grandpa, are we going to go down that long hill again?” the youngest asked, her voice quaking with fear and anticipation. We knew exactly what she meant. We had encountered it on our way…