Breakfast before work A young couple sat across from each other in a corner booth of a local diner. Eva endlessly talked about her plans for the garden. As her words faded into a continuous stream of chatter, Caden gazed at her beauty. “Are you even listening to me?” breaks the rhythm of her cadence. “You want three boxwoods placed evenly across the front garden. Between them, there are to be rosemary plants because you love the fragrance. In front of the perennials, you wa

Where relationships die Kevin stared at the report to improve his newest client's business. The perfect wording to describe his findings eluded him in the moment. His eyes moved off the monitor and out the front window of his home office. Her red hair glimmered under the impending storm clouds. His heart instantly filled with hope and pain. Clarice anxiously studied the house, wondering if she should take the next step to knock or walk away. Her life was shattered last Nove

Answering the wrong question Diane dragged her sleep-deprived body into the kitchen just after eight in the morning. With her hair a mess and bags under her eyes, she offered a mumbled good morning to her mother. She poured a cup of coffee, and Mom asked, “So, what’s wrong?” in that soft motherly tone. Diane plopped into a kitchen chair and paused before starting, “You remember I told you about Mike?” “The twenty-five-year-old electrician who just remodeled his kitchen by

Where dreams are broken I walked into the law offices of Bennett & Associates. A young brunette woman greeted me with a smile, “Mr. Carver?” she asked. I nodded, and she asked me to follow her to a large conference room. There sat Mom and my half-sister Rachel on one side of the table. I smiled at Mom’s Aunt Mable and her husband, Uncle Todd, who sat opposite them while ignoring my mother. Along the back wall were two men I didn’t know. Mom grimaced at me, “What are you d

Jake’s long blink opened to a flash of blinding light, and then red taillights whirled in front of him. The sound of metal crumbling scared his ears as a final bright light blinded him, and then everything went dark as death. In the blackness, faint beeps and mummers echoed in his dreams, sounding like a life no longer his reality. He awoke to a stark white room with no walls, floors, or ceiling. A man appeared next to him without distinction or purpose. The soft baritone

Comfortable Jeans Hello to all, There have been many commentaries, writings, and books on the differences between men and women. If the differences had to be summed up in one word, I believe it would be “comfortable.” No other word in the English language has a broader connotation between the sexes. To a man, comfortable is something special and desirable. To a woman, comfortable is something ordinary and not worth having. Men seek comfort in every endeavor they undertake

A Basking Ginger in the October Sun Hello to all, October has settled into northern Ohio and brought cool, dry air from Canada. It is...

The queen of the neighborhood Hello to all, Ginger, our dog, the self-proclaimed queen of the house, raged against a subject under her...

Old dog sleeping on the couch Hello to all, There is an old expression that goes, “Dogs used to be wild, free, and independent. Then...

Author, Blogger, Recovered Hello to all, I missed last week’s blog due to the flu bug infecting our home. It began Tuesday morning with...

Italian Bread Hello to all, Every Friday in the summer, we make breads for the local Farmer’s Market. Tammy makes quick bread, I make...

Growing Old is not for Sissies Hello to all, “Growing old is not for sissies,” is a comment from an old man from my youth. This...

Daddy's Little Girl Hello to all, A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about being a Girl Dad. There is a particular anxiety that comes...

Not talking to me! Hello to all, Everyone has experienced someone giving them the cold shoulder. It comes after a felt affront, whether...

Professional Annoyer Hello to all, I need your help this week. A friend told me some disturbing news this past week. He claimed that...

Girl Dad's Shirt Hello to all, A boy mom is a woman fortunate enough to raise only boys. There are many videos of these mothers...

Chicken Parm Dinner Hello to all, It was a typical Friday night in a pizza restaurant, a little over thirty-two years ago. As the...

Our New Stove Hello to all, Have you ever been floating through life, only to have a monkey wrench thrown into your life? We moved...

Hello to all, Head Chef and Chief Bottle Washer The muse that inspires my unique perspective on the world, for your reading pleasure,...

Queen Ginger Hello to all, Thirteen years ago, our dog Ginger was born from peasant blood. In the six months from her birth to the day...