Nov 29, 2021Honk for ChoiceI’m standing with 100 people, mostly women, on the Pawcatuck Bridge in Westerly, RI, holding clever signs and cheering when drivers honk their horns in pro-choice solidarity. I can’t believe I’m still doing this after 50 years. “Honk for Choice!” I shout as cars approach the bridge from both directions…Women10 min readWomen10 min read
Nov 16, 2021A Seat at the Changing TableA Seat at the Changing Table I got to the airport with time to spare. Flight 6083 Southwest from Boston to Denver departure 8am. I can’t remember when I was this excited. In a few hours, I would be attending the baby shower for my son and daughter-in-law. Their first…Grandparents9 min readGrandparents9 min read
Oct 17, 2021Dating Scene(s)Dating Scene(s) Several months after my husband and I split in 2018, at the age of 62, I began to try my hand at dating again. My life and the world of dating, had changed drastically from the days of meeting someone in the supermarket (where my husband and I…Dating15 min readDating15 min read
Jun 17, 2021Road trips with Pie ManRoad trips with Pie Man Dad was my travel hero. A master of Boston streets, Rochester neighborhoods and New Hampshire backroads, he was a personal GPS before GPS was a thing. The trunk of his car was full of road maps and large AAA Atlas books. I was only 10…Roadtrip9 min readRoadtrip9 min read
Feb 9, 2021Recommended: Ironing SheetsIroning my sheets is not a chore. It’s a ritual. — It’s the part of my weekly calendar I look forward to, even more than regular exercise or watching my favorite TV show. When it’s time to iron my sheets, I prepare for the evening accordingly. First the laundry. I pile the wrinkled sheets and pillowcases into the machine and add…Women5 min readWomen5 min read
Dec 6, 2020Mating SeasonMating Season In 1964, at 20 years of age, Bobby Fischer became the first US Chess Champion with 11 wins in 11 games, the only perfect score in the history of the tournament. I was eight years old then and my dad was teaching me how to play chess. Most…Chess10 min readChess10 min read
Aug 5, 2020Of Diaries and BlogsOf Diaries and Blogs I began writing my memoir when I was 8 years old. Of course I didn’t realize it then. My grandmother had given me a diary for my birthday. It was a navy-blue leather bound book that closed with a wrap-around clasp and could be locked with…Writing5 min readWriting5 min read
Jul 20, 2020Nerd Food“Dad’s making Teenie Weenies for dinner tonight!” My little brother could hardly contain himself. There were few dinners we loved more. Our dad was more engineer than chef. Meals were less about nutrition and more about invention. Teenie Weenies were hot dogs cut into little rounds and then pierced with…Food5 min readFood5 min read
Jun 22, 2020Happy Father’s DayBorn in 1923, my dad was the youngest of three siblings, all of whom grew up during the depression in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His parents had emigrated from Romania and settled in what was then a burgeoning city outside of New York. They built a modest home that backed up to…Fatherhood4 min readFatherhood4 min read
Jun 9, 2020A Mother’s PrivilegeA Mother’s Privilege In this time of outrage over the murder of another Black man, George Floyd, at the hands of white police, I find myself re-examining a time in my life thirty years ago. In 1989 I became pregnant with our first child. I daydreamed about what they might be like. I hoped they’d be redheaded and freckled over their white cheeks like mine. I was excited. I could hardly think about anything else. My world was becoming smaller as I was getting bigger…Racism7 min readRacism7 min read
