I retreat to my studio, turn on my boom-box and fiddle with the radio tuner. FM 103.9 tunes in. Out comes a "rap" song. Then an old-time country song followed by something different. Then the DJ says, "Hello. This is Bait-Shop radio, and I am broadcasting from Worthington Ohio on the banks of the Olentangy … Continue reading COLLATERAL BLESSINGS XII

The sun is shining on my new lounge chairs delivered by Amazon and I can see them out my study window. In my imagination, I am sitting in one reading TIES and Ernest is sitting in the other reading FOG OF DOUBT. Bashi , Lily and Asia-the-Cat are playing "seek" in the bushes. My imagination … Continue reading COLLATERAL BLESINGS XI

I found in my downstairs bookshelf two old paperback mysteries that I read decades ago and kept so I could read them again in my dotage. So, today, I have started reading (again) The fog of doubt and I love it and I can't remember how it ends.... Now, isn't that a blessing?

My dear friend, Carla Corroto, staying-in-place while teaching three classes at Otterbein University tells me her cat is her T.A. Carla regularly sends pictures of that cat grading papers. Count your extra blessings, kiddos. Moreover, Carla has talked me through the purchasing of an ipad so that I can zoom with others! If she weren't … Continue reading COLLATERAL BLESSINGS IX

Because our dogs' groomer is closed and because our dogs are beginning to look like dirty dogs, Ernest and I took out their puppy shampoo, conditioner, no-tangles spray and snippers, and set the temp on the faucet spray and settled, first, Bashi, into the kitchen sink, scrubbed him up, toweled and combed and blew him … Continue reading COLLATERAL BLESSING VIII

So many lovely surprises. Postcards, cards, letters, emails from friends I haven't talked to in a while---in some case years. Neighbors reaching out to help with grocery shopping. Groups setting up zooms. Best, this morning I received a video of my fourteen month old great-grandbabies (by once-removed-kin) dancing to Bolero. Life does go on--dancing.

I was walking my dogs this morning when I saw the three-year old twin boys on their twin swings, and heard their grandpa saying, "Up...Up." Across the street, I saw five-year Damien hosing down a truck tarp, his dad sitting in the truck's bed saying, "Good Job." I saw ten-year old Jason riding his bike … Continue reading COLLATERAL BLESSINGS VI

A true blessing....I have Denise Clark (Clarke Communications) on the other end of my internet teaching me how to blog!

My son, Ben, a software engineer, is working from home. Ben’s wife, Tami, is in the “front line” at the V.A.  My dogs need a walk, and I want to get out before it starts to rain my husband, Ernest, wants to stay home and talk to his daughter in Maine while she is free … Continue reading COLLATERAL BLESSINGS IV