The Stingy Son Once a man and his wife were sitting at a table by the back door, roast chicken in front of them, and were about to eat dinner. The man saw his father coming up the road toward them. He quickly grabbed the chicken and hid it because he did not want to
Read MoreA mean Old Witch surprised 10 brothers who were robbing her favorite, raspberry bushes.“Away with you!!” The Old Witch shouted swinging her broom in a wide, sweeping gesture towards the 10 brothers. Poking the air with her broom handle she walked slowly at The Brothers who were packed together and backed up to the lake
Read MoreMy Mom loved Thanksgiving! (The family always gathered at her home.) She had advanced Alzheimer’s at the final feast my family shared with her. I thought a 60s, Hallmark, honey-comb turkey centerpiece would be a bright, whimsical touch so I bought one on eBay for a couple of bucks. My Mom was giddy when it
Read MoreI used to work at a leather shop in downtown Newburyport Ma. During the Holidays and many, beautiful, summer days we were mobbed with eager shoppers, and the days happily floated by. Then there were those interminable November shop hours. On the outside, the cold, wind-swept sleet had made slick the historic brick sidewalks and
Read MoreGive a child (or anyone really) a clean sheet of paper and markers or colored pencils or crayons and ask them to ‘free draw’. (That’s drawing without any examples or instructions.) The first question is, invariably, “What should I draw?” “Draw what you see.“ I always answer. “But, everything I see is boring.” “Then see
Read MoreFrom within the black void, my radiant consciousness stirs. This flutter kindles a smoldering ember, fragile as the wisp of smoke that gently undulates around me. For I am the Ember! Flames erupt and transform me from glowing, white-coated ash to deep crimson to scarlet to yellow to blinding light that pushes back the darkness.
Read MoreThe charming Disney tale was inspired by a Danish Fairytale written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1837. (FYI: The original story makes no mention of the name ‘Ariel’ nor any reference to skin color of The Little Mermaid or The Prince.) The original Fairytale, written for children, is about a Little Mermaid, with a beautiful,
Read MoreI remember lifting the crisp cardboard, yellow and green, rectangular box top and thrilling to every Crayola Crayon color name:The Exotics like- Prussian Blue, Aquamarine, Sepia, Mulberry, Mahogany, Thistle, Terracotta, Cornflower, and Periwinkle. Or the comfortingly descriptive: Lemon yellow, Forest Green, Orange, Plum, Sky Blue, Grey, Black, and the exquisitely subtle White. Then there were
Read MoreThe Great Rocks My continuing fascination with glacial erratics began at 30 Janet Road in Chelmsford, MA.My family lived near the end of this sleepy road in a 1960s, residential development. At 40 Janet Road (the end of our street) was a weathered sign proclaiming ‘Thanksgiving Town Forest.’ A little, paved, parking lot, with 4
Read MoreThe Old Man in the MountainI remember reading in bed one night when the radio announcer said, “The Old Man in the Mountain has just slipped from the rockface and is now nothing more than a pile of granite rubble.” I was stunned! Not The Old Man in the Mountain? It had been carved by glacial erosion
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