Image by author On the second evening of my husband’s big extended family reunion, we met at a burger & bar joint, shuffled into a private room that could house the scads of us, and shared stories. These were stories told to the person sitting next to you as the wait staff floated around the boisterous crowd, or to the person across the table who’d just made you burst out laughing and needed to hear your version of the same hilarity—a back and forth of the best kind. An explo

Image by author Hello, all. I hope this brief check-in finds you well. I'm down in Florida for my husband's big family reunion and having a wonderful time. I'm taking this week off from the blog, but I thought I'd unearth a few of my earliest comics from years ago and share them here. It's been fun to stroll down Comic Memory Lane. Some had me cringe--ugh, not funny. Others had me sorta smile. On average, I'm impressed by how much effort I put forth. See you next week! Image

Image by author This past weekend, I drove the three to eight hours to New Jersey to see my mom and sister. I live in a major metropolitan area. Driving time varies. There was a little of this (shopping), a little of that (dining), a lot of talking, and a solitary big loop tour on foot of my old adolescent haunts. I say “haunts” because it was the day after Halloween. The place was still haunted. I started my loop tour under a big sky, as opposed to the tiny one where I live.

Image by author If I were to dress up this Halloween, what would I be? Not because I am going to dress up, or typically do on this annual occasion, but the thought experiment has me wondering. What would it be like to knock on doors, a sixty-year-old woman, asking for candy, dressed as my alter ego? It all depends on the costume. I begin with an online search to scout out my options. Obviously, I could construct whatever costume I wanted, but let’s pretend I’m lazy and choose

Image by author I grew up with Peanuts . No, not as in almonds or cashews. As in Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, and Peppermint Patty. I’ll give a shoutout to Woodstock, too. Back then, you’d access these characters in the comics section of the newspaper and then on holidays, animated on TV. My siblings and I would clump together and watch the Peanuts  television specials, and since there were few television shows for kids back then — far from the multi-screen blur that l

Image by author I woke up in recoil. Oh no. This day's going to be the WOAT. I was so certain of it that I wouldn’t allow myself to descend further into fatalistic thinking. I flipped the switch. Only one option: grind through, no catastrophizing, just do it. It’s a muted grit that refuses to notice the challenge or internally comment on it. Going through the motions is another way of saying it, I suppose. I had a busy day ahead, with clear goals I needed and wanted to nail,

Image by author I never realized how much of a killer I am. Sorry to disappoint. It’s true. I don’t think I need to include a trigger...

Image by author Leaves, brown and falling. Temps, cool and sane. Light, shorter now, a harbinger. Blare the trumpets! The season is upon...

Image by author The other day, I came upon three deer — a mom and two fawns. They didn’t move, didn’t budge, since many deer won’t flinch...

Image by author Dear Friends, I submit this image as a celebration of the joyful fact that I gave myself permission to take the week off...

Image by author A few weeks ago, I started my fifth year as neighborhood mailbox jokester. This meant I lugged out my thin-tipped magic...

Image by author After I got a tour of the place where I’d be volunteering for the day, which included a detailed explanation of the...

Image by author I was halfway home from a birthday celebration for my mother when I crested a rise on Interstate 95 and let out a...

Image by author Please forgive me — I’m a cheat. Or I suspect I might be. If so, I want to make amends, and for that, I think I’ll need...

Image by author Time is a funny thing, a wispy current. Or maybe it’s not funny at all, and lands like a rude thud with no regard for our...

Image by author I learned to compare myself to others early on. I was a kid when I compared myself to those who could wake up on a dry...

Image by author I just got home from my first writer’s conference, and I’m exhausted. I’m sitting on the couch with a vicious roar of...

Image by author Let me ask you a question. First, imagine you and I are about to meet in person for the first time. We’ve chosen...

Image by author This past weekend, I attended my first live stand-up comedy show. I’ve always wanted to see one, but I never made the...

Image by author I was on the stairmaster at the gym, and I had two options for entertainment: look out the glass wall in front of me at...