Cleaning my mother's house. Cleaning my own house. This week, these parallel activities have me musing about the nature of housework. I am a good-enough-for-government-work cleaner. The basics get done, and a little less frequently, I delve deeper, noticing and eradicating the toothpaste splash on the bathroom wall and the cobwebs clinging to the bulls-eye … Continue reading Housekeeping
Girls’ Night
The six of us are former coworkers from the IT department of New Hampshire Savings Bank and our friendship and periodic get togethers have endured for over 30 years. We have seen divorces, marriages, births, deaths and grandchildren. A number of pets have come and gone. We have moved to different houses and one to … Continue reading Girls’ Night
Tiny Miracles
New Englanders know that Spring time is the most ethereal of seasons, arriving overnight with summertime temperatures, a diminishing pile of dirty snow, a long list of chores- indoors and out, and that which springs eternal. The hopeful things can be small and you need to pay attention. Visiting my mother yesterday, it was hard … Continue reading Tiny Miracles
Collectibles
What do you collect? I didn't really have any childhood obsessions (minus the paper dolls) and as an adult have spent a regrettable amount on shoes and dresses but I would hardly call the rats nest in my closet a “collection.” My true collectible has emerged in later years: condiments. Or more accurately, unusual ingredients. … Continue reading Collectibles
Transitional Wardrobe
New Englanders know how erratically Spring arrives. In my opinion, the most difficult aspect is deciding what to wear. Luckily, we have a style icon who can point the way. Having just returned from a jaunt to Florida to face a Nor’easter, Lo knows how to rock everything from resort wear to winter woolens. A … Continue reading Transitional Wardrobe
City Life
I was 21 years old when my husband and I got married and we have spent our lives together in this small New Hampshire city. It's a good city and a good life, you could even say both have improved over time. But inside me is a tiny longing and fascination for something I did … Continue reading City Life
Papa
One of the many nice things about having a grandchild is that she “belongs” to you. And Lo, with her winning personality and charming smile, reinforces that attachment. I am sure that each of us in her care team, family and network of friends feels it. And you know that I am obsessed with her. … Continue reading Papa
What to give up and what to maintain
After a certain age, we women are faced with some tough decisions. After a lifetime of glamour, excess and having it all (that’s how it was, right?), we now to need to carefully select our indulgences. Despite the inherent appeal of these luxuries, we must be conscious of the cost, the health effects and of … Continue reading What to give up and what to maintain
Returning to Childhood
The older I get, the more I think about my childhood. I am not regressing per se although the inevitable slide toward frailty, forgetfulness, incontinence and death does sound like a good blog topic. What I am referring to is discovering that who I am now is essentially the same person I was as a … Continue reading Returning to Childhood
What is forgotten is also remembered
The muscle memory of taking care of babies thankfully returns when you are blessed with a grandchild. Whether it is the gentle scraping of her chin with the baby spoon in order to push the overflow blob of puréed spinach back in the mouth or the instant of relief when her face reappears after popping … Continue reading What is forgotten is also remembered
