family essay
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Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the East Coast in the most exciting hurricane event since the Great Atlantic Hurricane of ’44. The Jersey Shore has called for the evacuation of everyone east of Route 9. And Dear ol’ Dad is not here to track it. (Although this may be his latest responsibility since joining the celestial weather committee.) Oh Continue reading
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Swimmin’ in the gene pool
No disrespect to my third cousins in Ireland, but I’m having a distressing week with my gene pool. And I’m pretty sure the Irish genes are to blame. It started with an email from my first cousin Denise who was going through old stuff and worked herself into such a depressive state after finding her 1972 passport Continue reading
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Beets
Some of my most vivid childhood memories involve foods. Ok, duh. A child spends a larger percentage of his life eating than an adult. Take little Mini-Mo, for example. At two months, he has a very small repertoire of things to dream about: eating, eliminating what he eats, smiling at Mommy and Daddy, playing with his Continue reading
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Fluffball 2 (or is it 3?)
Lately there is always some drama going on around here. It has gotten so intense that I was really looking forward to the drive to Tennessee this weekend for a nephew’s wedding. Initially I was dreading using Memorial Day weekend for an all day drive, but sometimes you just need to get away and you don’t even care Continue reading
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John Michael Monopolis
Mini-Mo has arrived! He decided to hang in there through 26 hours of labor until May 7 so that he and his cousin could have the same day of the month as birthdays. Or not. At least it will help aunties to remember the date. He weighed in at 6 lbs, 13 oz. and is 20″ Continue reading
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Junior Beekeeper
Today was a very exciting day: we picked up four new boxes of Russian bees. It was a long wait from the time we realized all of our bees had died over the winter to the arrival of their replacements. John’s little apprentice was getting antsy to try out his new beekeeper suit. This morning we drove out Continue reading
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April Showers
If April showers really bring May flowers, then we are going to have a gorgeous May. For every lovely sunny day, we have had to suffer a week’s worth of gloom. Ok, I am on a weather rant. It is cold. Raindrops pelt the window. The trees are whooshing and swaying in the wind. Traffic rushing Continue reading
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Cousins
My cousins and I are now officially the reigning generation. I can’t quite bring myself to call us the “senior” generation. We are not that old. I’m willing to admit that, with most of us being in our fifties, we are grown-ups. Alas, with the passing last week of Aunt Suzanne, we are now the ones in charge. Continue reading
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Friday night with the Geezers
geezer (gee-zer) n. 1. any old person in front of you on the Beltway driving at 25 mph 2. your grandparents Oh wait, words change meaning over time… geezer (gee-zer) n. 1. any person a generation older than you who cannot or will not keep pace with your frantic lifestyle, changing technology, or morphing vocabulary Continue reading
Slightly Off the Grid 