“Can you believe Jack made this?” the karate instructor said, handing me a small white flag. “He did?” I asked, turning the piece of fabric over in my hands. “Yes!” she said excitedly. “All on his own. We told them to use the space to describe themselves, and that’s what he drew.” He’d colored boxes in […]
“Sometimes. I call Mr. Hines Mr. Clean.” “Jack! That isn’t very nice. He’s your teacher.” We were standing in the cleaning aisle of Hannaford’s picking up Windex. “It’s a joke. I was making a joke.” I watched him push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and I noticed the glint in his eye, […]
Last Sunday was the kind of day we New Englanders have been waiting for all spring. Beautiful and sunny, with a cloudless blue sky. Maybe you’re wondering what I did on this lovely day. Did I take Wolfie for a long walk? Read on our front porch or play badminton with the kids? No, I didn’t do any of […]
People, forgive me if this post lacks the professionalism and panache that my blog normally has. We’ve just returned from our annual Memorial Day trip to New Jersey, and I’m feeling a little punchy. You can understand, I’m sure. You see, in the past two days, I’ve spent a total of twelve hours in the car with […]
On Saturday morning, just as I was placing a K-Cup into the Keurig for my first cup of coffee, eight-year old Charlie started to tell me about a dream he’d had the night before. “And then the dragon ate a purple cherry and he started to run so fast. He was running and uh, he […]
“I don’t think you should read the new Sue Monk Kidd book,” my friend Melissa e-mailed me. “It’s too violent for you.” For years—decades—Melissa has previewed shows and movies and books like Six Feet Under and The Kite Runner and Twelve Years a Slave, letting me know if there’s children being abused or women enduring rape […]
It’s no secret that men and women are different. Author John Gray wrote an entire guide to understanding the opposite sex, called Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. It was a big hit; a New York Times bestseller found on night stands everywhere. We don’t think the same, feel the same, eat the […]
A guy wearing a light pink Oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up walked over to where Joe and I were sitting at the bar, and plunked down on the stool next to me.“Hey guys! How are you?” That afternoon, after two planes and a layover and a harrowing bus ride that made the phrase “til […]
“Okay, I should be home in ten minutes,” I told my husband, Joe, last Wednesday evening. It was about 6:00, and I was leaving Barnes & Noble so we could all go out for dinner. “Great. Everyone’s hungry.” But when I walked in the door ten minutes later, it was chaos. Charlie and Henry were crying on the […]
I’m always struck at the number of grandparents who turn up at readings. During the discussion afterwards they usually ask similar questions; “I have a granddaughter with autism. What should I do when she flaps her hands?” or, “Why do the tags on his sweater bother him so much?” One time I met a tall slender man […]