The ship rocked back and forth ever so slightly, the same rhythm a parent rocks their infant who is on the cusp of falling asleep. Rain spit, enough to speckle the window, but not enough to streak it. Over my left shoulder, I heard one man say to another “the pawn goes here” and I knew someone was learning to play chess. A raucous uproar over my right shoulder told me someone played the winning card. The group was immediately shushed by others, but it made me smile. I was Continue Reading
I never thought I’d go like this
Throughout my adult life, I’ve experienced a series of events that all share the same prevailing theme - I never thought I’d go like this. Perhaps it was always an overly-anxious prediction of my sudden demise, and fortunately it never came to fruition (obviously). But each occasion had one thing in common. Travel. The first was a whitewater rafting trip. Eight of us from work traveled from Detroit to Pennsylvania (or West Virginia?). Mistakenly, we trusted the athlete/ experienced rafter in Continue Reading
Rules for making Christmas cookies
The rolling pin is back at the rear of the cabinet, the cookie sheets are in their designated space, and the recipes have been returned to their box. Cookie season is officially over. Recently, I was tasked to make Christmas cookies for a group I belong to. Now I can find my way around the kitchen pretty easily so it wasn’t a chore and there is barely a cookie I don’t love except snickerdoodles—a hard pass for me, but it made me wonder. Do people still make Christmas cookies? Have Continue Reading
Hiking in Nevada
Growing up in the lush green hills of Wisconsin, I never knew much about the desert. It was brown, dry, and covered with cactus. When I moved to the Phoenix area in the Sonoran Desert, I realized how I never understood the beauty that can be found here and in other deserts. Last week, my friend, Kathy, and I made the four-hour drive to Las Vegas. Our goal wasn’t to hear any concert or see any of their famous shows, but rather to explore two parks in the *Mojave Desert that offered plenty of Continue Reading