[This event really happened. The article first appeared in December, 2005, in a webzine that I had with my daughter. In view of the recent killing-by-rifle of a gorilla in a zoo in Ohio I dust this off and offer it here in desktodirt. Please do not attribute any political motives to this story: there aren’t any. In my case, respecting animals is non-partisan.] After
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I remember as a young child seeing on television this smiling, benevolent-looking man covered in flowing orange cloth. He was a visitor from a place far away; he was the Dalai Lama from Tibet. [Of all the countless images and thoughts that pass through a mind in a lifetime, why do a few stay stuck, and others simply whiz by
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Last night I was sitting and writing in my old, inspiring Morris chair. Ernie was scrunched in behind me: yes, behind my back. Graciously he now leaves me a few inches at the edge of the seat cushion to rest my bum and reach the laptop’s keyboard. This close proximity started a couple months ago after we had that confrontation
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The title of this piece was a commonly used expression with the WWII generation. My parents – and especially our Mother – used it often. It meant why waste your time on that; or don’t bother it isn’t worth the trouble. I brought it back for the moment to be used literally: stop and save some berries “for the birds.” In
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It’s the time of year when we have just sprung the clocks forward. That annoying measure, however, can be quickly put aside because Texas wildflowers put a smile on your face each morning, albeit an hour later. The beautiful white flower shown is a one-off. It immediately stood out from its field of multi-cultural neighbors. I looked twice through my extensive Texas Wildflowers Field
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Well, I promised to advise when one of the pregnant “big girls” next store gave birth, and she did! It was on Wednesday, the third of February’s afternoon at about four o’clock, preceded by a good luck head butt: [The all-brown faced is the mother of the moment] She then slowly left her friends and walked alone to a section of barbed wire
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Pampered. It all started with that single word. And, no, we’re not talking about adult diapers. But frequently during conversation a word will stick with me and get my thought process going into unpredictable directions. That happened when Marsha my hair stylist was trying to sell me add-on services such as a scalp massage, and I was saying no thanks.
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For those of you who will be getting the victuals for the upcoming holiday it is never too early to offer preparation hints and menu suggestions. The source of this knowledge and experience is a book called The American Frugal Housewife, published in 1833. Now, don’t let the relatively ancient date put you off. There are certain things in fine
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Texas summers can feel interminable; that’s because they are. Depending on the year, it is not unusual that they begin in April and continue until Halloween. That leaves five months of other. Fingers crossed, I think we have mercifully reached that climatic stage. My plea for relief from heat is because at heart I love the four seasons and cold;
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** Note to visitors: There are articles about Fuzzy the toad appearing in June, July and August, 2014 editions of desktodirt. The toads in this piece are probably his offspring. How cool! ** This past Memorial Day we had the worst storm in a record-breaking six-month’s of them. In the early morning darkness the howling wind lifted the cover off my barbeque
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