The Promise of a Vagabond

So yes I have this simple life. And I love it. Oh yes, I do. And I have to remind myself of this so often of late because I have friends who are starting off on grand, slam bam adventures and I get a little jealous – just every now and then – of their escapades. When the economy took a dive, quite a few people in my town went looking for new digs. It’s a mass exodus, really. The other day, I came across an old Girl Scout roster from two years ago and saw that, in that time, more than half of our sweet Brownie troop has moved away. One family went to Florida, where they somehow ride roller coasters just about every day. One went to go and live at grandma and grandpa’s beach home. One family is setting off this week for ports unknown, though I’m told...

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“Remember when I was little?”

Photo courtesy of James Brandon, on Flickr “Remember when I was little?” My nine-year-old daughter asked me that today and then proceeded to describe something that happened last week. “Remember when I was little and Harriet was little, too, and she would crawl on my lap no matter where I was and sleep on me? Even if I sat down to put on my boots, she would nestle on my lap and I couldn’t move? Remember that…when I was little?” Harriet is our 10-month old puppy, and this all happened last Thursday. It will probably happen again this Thursday. “That was when you were little?” I asked. “Yes. I’m growing every day, mom. And so is Harriet.” It’s true. Hearing her say that brings me back to the day, nearly 12 years ago, when my husband was...

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The Lunchtime of our Lives

We are talking about old age this morning. Actually, my husband is talking to me. I am staring at my computer instead of making eye contact because I don’t want to talk, but he is not taking the hint. He keeps talking, and so I relent. Have you ever gotten on a subject as a couple and it seems like every conversation winds its way back to that one? Lately we’ve been discussing how in the hell we got so old. It might be brought on by our recent foray into the world of girls’ basketball. Kids whom I saw fresh from their mama’s womb are getting called for a double dribble, tackling other girls, driving for the basket, throwing in layups. Watching these girls do things that I’m not coordinated enough to do feels strange because I realize...

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