I could see a rip in the jacket. Two rips, actually, maybe an inch long. It was a popped seam on the back of the right sleeve. I zeroed in on it when he turned on stage. I was only sitting four rows back in the audience and I was probably the only one who … Continue reading Holding it Together
stories
When Time Stops
If you look closely at this photo, you can probably tell it’s just a rehearsal. The scenery is not quite finished, there is no orchestra. The finale costumes aren’t completely ready, some still need alterations; so there are some colors mixed in with the stunning gold, white, and black. There are no face mics, no … Continue reading When Time Stops
Old Wives Tales
Remember when your mother told you to be nice to your brother? It's because a gypsy once came to the house, offering to buy you, but your brother wouldn't let her sell you. That one came from a friend, but I can certainly remember a lot of stuff my mom (and grandma and aunts) told … Continue reading Old Wives Tales
Corn Maze
No one wants me on their team for the Corn Maze. The "discussion" goes something like this... Dad: "We're going to the Corn Maze tomorrow! It's going to be so fun!" Me: "Yay! Who wants to be on my team?" Silence. I'm met with silence as my whole family stares awkwardly at the floor, waiting … Continue reading Corn Maze
Ready, Set, Type
I'm pleased to announce that I've now reached the age that comes with exclusive membership in a club only for parents. Membership in this club includes, but is not limited to, having teens or tweens in your household, immunity to eye rolls, constant use of the word "whatever" (by everyone), and almost daily story telling … Continue reading Ready, Set, Type
Oh, You’re FINE
If you're a parent of children who are old enough to communicate, chances are you've said this phrase to them more times than you can count. Falls, scrapes, scratches, bumps, bruises, bug bites... sometimes our kids complain so much that we become immune to it. It's a parenthood survival coping mechanism, I think. It doesn't … Continue reading Oh, You’re FINE
The House on Colonial Heights
There is a house on Colonial Heights with a postage-stamp-sized front yard. The hedges that lined the sidewalk, the garden in the corner with its portulacas and hens and chicks, and the shade from the trees with the low-hanging branches seemed to create their own little oasis, in my eight year old mind. The closed-in … Continue reading The House on Colonial Heights
The Story
I don't know much about the Vietnam War except what's been written in U.S. history textbooks. I am not a history buff. I know what my Dad, a veteran, has chosen to tell me, and that's very little. I know it was a war that divided generations of Americans, many stuck in their own … Continue reading The Story
Gretchen L. Mulroy 