Archives in Category: Things to Ponder

Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

No Plot, No Problem

Posted on January 14, 2005

My son, Keith, has heard me moan more than once that I will never be a great fiction writer because I’m unable to develop and sustain a plot. Without it, there’s no structure on which to hang the tale.

Enter,

 … finish reading No Plot, No Problem

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Reading Time

Posted on January 7, 2005

As the new year settles in, I’m inclined to hibernate, not because of January’s arrival but because of the cold temperatures, snowy conditions, and gloomy skies that accompany it. The good news is that it makes for a lot more

 … finish reading Reading Time

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Lawn Chairs

Posted on January 6, 2005

I have long since put away my lawn furniture; it rests snug and dry in the garage, waiting for my spring tulips to beckon. I have no need for it with four inches of Michigan’s finest snow covering everything.

But

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No Small Change

Posted on January 4, 2005

Ever notice how a glitch in one part of your life spills over to many other parts? For instance, banking. It’s no longer just a matter of going into the bank and closing an account by writing a check for

 … finish reading No Small Change

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The Little Match Girl

Posted on December 11, 2004

A couple days ago, my favorite aunt read my mini-essay about old friends who visit at the holiday and it recalled her own special friend. She emailed me to add “The Little Match Girl” to my list.

Ah, Hans Christian Andersen’s

 … finish reading The Little Match Girl

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Chinos

Posted on November 26, 2004

Chinos are the offspring of blue jeans. They were born somewhere in the twentieth century and grew to adulthood in the late 1900s. I know this because I recently received a catalog from Lands Ends that uses Chinos as a

 … finish reading Chinos

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Amanda

Posted on November 20, 2004

I’m looking at a photo in our local newspaper of a young girl with a ponytail and the sweetest smile on her face. Her name is Amanda, and the article recounts her love of basketball, volleyball, a good book, and

 … finish reading Amanda

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Sad State of Affairs

Posted on November 13, 2004

George Bush and his moral majority won the election. Mostly by mobilizing white, Christian, midwestern and southern voters, Bush succeeded in racking up a lead in those states that was insurmountable, even given the numbers of voters in the states

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Ten Thousand Dollars

Posted on November 12, 2004

We have an appointment this afternoon with a real estate agent. No, we’re not selling. Rather, the agent has a client who claims to be willing to pay ten thousand dollars a month for a home on water for June,

 … finish reading Ten Thousand Dollars

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Battleground State

Posted on November 10, 2004

If this title makes you think I have reneged on my word not to discuss the recent election in public, never fear. Instead, read on.

I had a sad experience yesterday when my friend, Carol, and I visited the Tippecanoe Battlefield

 … finish reading Battleground State

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