It is over 90 degrees here in greater Detroit, Michigan.  Last week we wore long sleeves, pants, and hoodies.  We fought over the bedspread to stay warm.  That was last week.  Now, we are in for it.  This reminds me of our six year stint in Southwest Florida.  By April I could cook a full… Continue reading Grocery Shop Dilemma

We spent some time on various sites to look for possible rentals in L.A. for our son. Most of these are rather cryptic in the way they are written.  One is a mansion full of artists to rent a bed in a place that never quiets down day or night. Our son was warned off… Continue reading Rental Disagreement

My husband is the father of four, now grown, kids.  His birthday is also within days of Father’s Day.  Our Los Angeles sons will send cards, eventually.  Daughters send a thoughtful gift or two to arrive on or before these days.  It is the same way for me, as their mother.  But, this morning I… Continue reading Father’s Day

Some time ago I started out as a substitute teacher in a school district that was cheek by jowl next to Detroit.  I was already showered and dressed by six a.m. to wait for my assignment via a phone call.  It was a seventh grade class.  I took it. I entered the classroom and looked… Continue reading Have Fun

We went to a beautiful beach on the Gulf of Mexico.  It was crowded with people who all smelled like coconuts.  No one was in the water except for our four children.  The youngest was in water over waist deep.  It was hot, and I was sleepily watching them. Suddenly I snapped awake.  I saw… Continue reading Sharks

Our son was going into the second grade.  The teacher had sent parents a note requesting school supplies that would be used in caddies by groups of desks.  It made sense to me.  I spent a small fortune each Fall when I shopped for school supplies.  If our Yorkie found scented crayons he would eat… Continue reading Rosie the Tarantula

Our oldest son had a Toyota.  He drove himself and his sister to school. It was almost an hour drive there and an hour drive back home.  He spent money to put a sound system that rocked the car.  It cost more than the used Toyota did. There were toll booths everywhere in Florida.  This… Continue reading Rock and Unroll

One of our sons had a habit of letting his jeans drop onto the floor by the bed.  His cat loved him, and she often would sleep on the jeans. We also had another cat.  She crapped in his jeans while he slept.  Not a morning person, he put the jeans on, a tattered tee… Continue reading One Shitty Day

Imagine a jungle environment in the high summer heat.  The humidity is 100% and it is not raining out.  Our family of six arrives to visit their grandparents.  They are true Floridians, a bit chilly and sweater clad in the jungle. The kids have worn themselves out in the pool.  They fall asleep despite the… Continue reading Tick Tock

Once in a blue moon it would be too hot to bask in the sun on the beach. We did one of two things:  swim in cold, cold water, or drive an hour to the mall.  I never came away from a mall trip with anything.  My budget was tight.  But, my mom and I… Continue reading Hot Fudge