by jphilo | Oct 17, 2013 | Three Thoughts for Thursday
- The government shutdown has been averted for the time being. But those who taught any member of the legislative or executive branch in elementary school can’t take it easy yet. Now’s the time to call those former students and give them an earful about how to work nicely with others.
- Personal experience has taught me that the temperature of Kodiak, Alaska on July 5 is the same as the temperature in Grand Rapids, Michigan on October 17. Now I have a burning desire to personally discover if the same is true of the temperature in Hawaii in January.
- A writer’s life doesn’t get much better than breakfast with a co-author, lunch with an agent, and an afternoon meeting with the publisher of a new book. As my co-author says…Doesn’t it feel grown up to say that?
by jphilo | Oct 1, 2013 | Top Ten Tuesday
Being a spring kind of girl, I am always surprised by people who say fall is their favorite season. But with summer turning to autumn, I’m focusing on what’s good about this new season. It didn’t take long to come up with this top ten list:
10. Longer nights mean my morning walk begins by moon and starlight. Beautiful!
9. Acorn squash, Hiram’s favorite side dish, is in season. Menu planning is easy this time of year.
8. Earlier sunsets make it perfectly acceptable to put on jammies after supper and curl up in bed with a good book.
7. Early fall=perfect sleeping weather
6. The does and summer fawns are less skittish and easier to photograph.
5. Apple season is here!
4. Deal’s apple cider is in the grocery store.
3. The dry, spicy scent of fall leaves and crops drying in the fields.
2. This time of year feels like the world’s being tucked into bed for a good night’s sleep.
1. Our grandson’s birthday and the opportunity to celebrate his young life.
What do you like about fall? Leave a comment.
by jphilo | Oct 25, 2012 | Daily Life
Thanksgiving is less than a month away, so today’s three thoughts are a warm up for the big feast day. Here are three things, other than the fact that I’m not Tom or Tessa Turkey, to be thankful for this fall day.
- While driving by the Super Wal-mart under construction, which is on the way from our house to anywhere in town, I grew increasingly thankful to be a writer rather than an asphalt spreader. How do construction workers stand the smell?
- Whenever a piece of apple core gets stuck between my teeth, I am thankful for the nameless person who invented dental floss.
- On drizzly fall days, I am grateful for rain-slicked and shining red leaves of the burning bush outside our kitchen window.
What makes you thankful this fine fall day less than a month before Thanksgiving? Leave a comment!
by jphilo | Oct 22, 2012 | Out and About
For more than a week, I’ve been on the road. Whether the travel’s been for personal or professional reasons, the time behind the wheel left plenty of time for this Monday’s musings.
- Being a grandma is the best job ever.
- Fall is a lovely time for traveling in the Midwest.
- Panera has the healthiest fast food (and tastiest coffee) of any franchise chain.
- My new mission in life is to explain to food service workers that “dairy-free” means more than no visible cheese, yogurt, or ice cream on whatever you order.
- Box elder bugs are taking over the world.
- Dorothy knew what she was talking about when she clicked those ruby slippers together and said there’s no place like home–even when you get home and find box elder bugs are waiting to greet you–lined up three deep on the threshold.
What are your latest travel musings? Leave a comment.
by jphilo | Sep 28, 2012 | Walking Down the Gravel Road
It may be impolite to brag about one’s accomplishments, but I’m gonna buck convention and admit my absolute genius for self-delusion. In the past month, I’ve convinced myself that:
- eating large amounts of chocolate won’t result in weight gain if combined with exercise,
- our new grandchild would be born before his/her due date,
- and publishers would snap up my book proposal about post-traumatic stress disorder in children.
If it weren’t for cold, hard facts like:
- my jeans fitting a bit to snuggly,
- our daughter-in-law now a week past her due date,
- and the sweetest rejection letter ever from the first publisher to respond to my agent about the book proposal,
I would still be wrapped in those delusions. Instead, I’ve moved onto new ones. My two favorites are:
- It’s still summer.
- Mom’s holding her own in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
But brilliant foliage of the trees along our gravel road forced the abandonment of the first bit of self-delusion. Two phone calls with Mom shattered the second one.
She called yesterday morning, something she rarely takes the initiative to do. “Any news on the baby?” she asked.
“No,” I answered, “and it’s getting really hard to wait. I was hoping the baby would be born today, on your mom’s birthday.”
“That would have been nice, ” she agreed. “But Jolene, if the waiting’s hard for you, think how much harder it is for Abbey.” She sounded so much like her old self, I wondered if the prospect of being a great-grandmother was winning the war against mental decline.
But she called again later in the afternoon. “What’s my old address?” she asked.
I told her and asked, “Why did you need that?”
“I’m filling out this registration form to prove I live in a different county. It asks for my former address.”
“Is this so you can vote for president?”
“Yes,” she replied. After a pause she asked, “What’s today’s date?”
Now it was my turn to hesitate. Every year until this one, my mother spent all September anticipating her mother’s birthday, talking about her, telling stories, saying she missed her. This year, she didn’t know what day it was, even though I’d mentioned it in our last phone call.
I swallowed and said, “September 27. It’s your mom’s birthday.”
We chatted for a few minutes. I teased her about who she would vote for. I promised to call her as soon as we heard anything about the baby. Then I hung up, let go of my delusion, and faced the truth:
- Mom’s memory is failing.
- Alzheimer’s is chewing more holes in her brain.
On the other hand:
- She knows who she’ll vote for in the presidential election.
- She’s eager for news of her first great-grandchild.
- She can still call and talk on the phone.
She may be failing, but her life, and ours, are rich with memories. And when she can’t remember anymore, we’ll remember for her.
- That’s not self-delusion.
- That’s love.
