Robyn and I talk almost every morning. It’s a kind of well-being check-in for us, I think. I would get concerned if I couldn’t reach her (without an excused absence). She feels the same. In any case, during our morning chit chat yesterday, she asked me if I planned to raise a glass to honor […]
Widowed and New Love
Lee is Having Another Birthday
Lola and I returned home from Tucson around ten days ago. Predictably, at the end, we were greeted by bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions amidst interminable local construction projects that extended our long road trip by ninety extra, stressful minutes, wintery temperatures, gusty winds, and thick, overcast skies. Ah, it’s good to be home again. My calendar […]
Recycling History
During her recent visit to Tucson, Robyn mentioned that she was scheduled to take a medical test once she returned home. She was upset by the prospect and visibly concerned. Thankfully, it seems she is okay. Of course, it’s natural to feel the way Robyn was feeling. The worry that comes with the suspense of […]
Western Valentines
Robyn arrived here in Tucson just before midnight on Saturday. Through Wednesday afternoon we hiked, shopped, gambled, visited friends, kissed and hugged, and sampled the best that Tucson has to offer, despite Robyn repeating she still hates this place. Oh, well, I guess one can’t please everybody, not to mention we have big plans for […]
Preparing for the Journey
Eight days from today Lola the Pup and I bid farewell to Robyn. Then, for the third consecutive year, we’re off to our Winter quarters in the American Southwest. I take this annual extended journey solely for me. The destination is not nearly as important as the journey. No one lives without regret; it’s a […]
For Us, An Uneventful New Year
Robyn had set her alarm. She wanted to see a local television countdown to the New Year but dozed right through it. Each year her favorite weather gal and handsome on-air partner perform a music and dance routine, followed by a slew of “media personalities” and minor performers. The program was about the last I […]
A Place in The Sun
Happy Birthday Jackson! Yesterday, Jackson, our local hound-lab mix rescue, turned the Big One according to his adoption records. He was one of a litter of nine brought to the shelter as they struggled to live, slowly nursed back to health. I met Jackson and his littemates when they were already 3 months-old while touring […]
Nervous Eating
Every day, I see small yellow and red leaves falling in the hundreds, relentless falling leaves coloring the lawn. The geese are gathering. Were they drawn together by chance to form the V-formations cutting across the Fall sky? Occasionally, I will hear them honking off in the distance. Robyn was first to spot the small, […]
Future Inquiries
“Are we going to get a stepdad?” my then 7-year-old asked me. It had been less than one month since Tony died. Like all deep questions posed by children, this one was at bedtime. It was a question for which I was unprepared. I do remember stumbling through an answer. If my widow memory is […]
The Nearly Perfect Weekend
On Friday, the weather in New York City was picture-perfect. Warm sunshine reflected off the Hudson and the blue sky was completely cloudless. I chatted with a Louisiana woman, now living in New York City. She was with a bearded man wearing a Louisiana T-shirt and two adolescents. Suddenly, displaying a smile sweet as pie, […]
Choices and Adjustments
HI Friends. I feel like a broken record, but once again my apologies for not posting in here the last couple weeks. I really don’t completely forget on purpose. Its just that the last few weeks have been INCREDIBLY STRESSFUL and chaotic and soooo busy with moving, packing, getting into my new apartment, then unpacking, […]
Birthday Girl
Robyn was born in the 20th Century, the youngest of three children, and not too long before I arrived. She grew up in the big city, attended its public schools, and has a high school diploma to prove it. As I recall, her dad either owned or was employed in a neighborhood pharmacy, a place […]