Before Aspergers
  Anyone who attended my alma mater between 1978 and 1982 would recognize “Elliot” in a police line-up. A little over six feet tall and 130 lbs, Elliot had wooly ink-black hair piled six inches on top of his rectangular head. He wore thick glasses with thick black rims, the kind that magnified his eyes. His [...]

soft november
November comes And November goes, With the last red berries And the first white snows. With night coming early, And dawn coming late, And ice in the bucket And frost by the gate. The fires burn And the kettles sing, And earth sinks to rest Until next spring. (Clyde Watson)        

Halloween Costume Fiascos…
  …we’ve all suffered them as children. But it’s even worse as a parent when you’ve put so much effort and expectation into the big day and it tanks.   Our first major costume failure occurred when our daughter, M, was four years old. Just as my New England mom had raised us, I insisted (from the [...]

magazine overdose
    I confess I’m a major magazine junkie. I’ll read almost anything in magazine form - from Utne to Us – I love it all. However I’ve found I must balance my magazines; consuming too much of one type (like watching an entire season of Weeds on dvd) instantly results in burn-out. And like any junkie, what I [...]

Possibly an Excellent Idea for a Reality Show
Lately, like the past 10 years or so, I have dreaded grocery shopping.  And I think it’s getting worse - to the point where certain members of my family frequently whine: there’s… nothing… to… eat… in… the… house… Mooooooooooommmmm   Today was one of those days when there truly was nothing to eat.  Not even a piece [...]