This is one of those stories that won’t come easy. It’s genuinely one where I’ll have to “sit down and open a vein.” It’s very personal, and maybe I should not speak publicly about it, but I need to, and since I’ve gotten older, I have no desire to hide…

Thoughts about our grandson. For reasons I don’t want to go into here, my husband and I found out early in 2013 that we would have to take over the raising of our oldest grandson. There was no choice except to let him go into foster care. …

I used to be familiar with most of the writers who showed up on my feed and many of them were friends, too. To find them now I have to search their names. Their work never comes up on my stories listings. …

It saved my life. — Of course, it was October because most bad things came to me in October. It has always been the worst month of my lifetime of depression, and the one in 1980 proved to be one I couldn’t make it through alone. …

Can’t keep my big trap shut. — We’ve only used this Florida place for two seasons, and my big mouth has already caused trouble. Nobody likes me. I’ll go eat dirt. We bought this trailer, eh, excuse me, mobile home, in this 55-plus mobile home park in April of 2022. In September of 2022, Hurricane Ian tore…

The memories never will be. — The place where I grew up served as home base for my whole family for 64 years. Then mom died, and we had to sell it to strangers. I cannot bear to drive by it. Neither me nor my sister was in a position to buy the other’s half. So…

Along the beaches of Florida’s west coast lie some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Not because I say so but because so many nationwide and worldwide organizations have judged them as such. And because they are unique and must be experienced to be appreciated. …

I love today’s modern families. We just had lunch with our son and his mother for his birthday celebration. He’s my stepson and my husband and his ex-wife are his blood parents. And at every event of importance involving either of my husband’s children, we are all three there. Our…

I guess I am at least part socialist because of this country’s gaping chasm between the rich and poor. It is glaringly apparent here in Florida. There is big money here. …