Moonberry Lake

If there is an elixir to life, I believe it is the saltine cracker, or, as my mother called it, the soda cracker. The remarkably plain and humble cracker has been the silent, unsung hero for generations, and I think it’s time we give the appropriate appreciation to...

Family is a funny thing. Blood may be thicker than water, but that genetic roll of the dice sure can have different outcomes. I attended a wedding recently and studied the fish in my own genetic pool. I don’t think it’s uncommon to wonder at some point during any...

I couldn’t fall asleep last night. It’s a common problem for us old folks. We go to bed in anticipation of getting rest for our weary bones and aching joints, hoping for relief from the constant tiredness that plagues us. I climb into bed, eagerly longing for the...

I’m pretty sure some of us are born with the “worrywart” gene. No matter what you call it— being anxious, feeling uneasy or apprehensive, having a tendency to agonize, or simply losing yourself to utter despair—that creeping dread in the pit of your tummy is a pretty...

I went to the doctor today, and I’m pretty sure they drew enough blood to paint a wall. At my age, they test for just about everything. It goes beyond good and bad cholesterol; there are a hundred other things about the inner workings of my body doctors can discover....

There have been many changes in my lifetime, some obvious, some subtle, some groundbreaking, and some rather confusing. I think the types of food available today fall into every one of those categories. Not only do we have access to diverse cultural food without ever...

Take time to be quiet. That was the main message of the sermon on Sunday. Apparently, the pastor thought the idea needed to introduced as if it was something unusual. “Be quiet,” he kept repeating. “Sit in stillness.” Well, anyone can do that. I do it daily. All it...

I was having dinner with my family when I looked across the table and saw my Aunt Tilly and Grandpa Gus looking back at me. What made this strange is that both people have been gone for a long time. On the other side of Tilly, I could see my father. I wasn’t...

I had a neighbor who would mow his lawn wearing pajamas. Every Saturday morning he’d be out in his light-blue, long-sleeved pajama set and walking from one side of the yard to the other, making horizontal lines with the mower. It was like clockwork. He wouldn’t do it...

Well, I’m upset, and there’s nothing to do about it. My church is getting rid of the old, worn-out pews and replacing them with chairs. I realize pews are hard and nothing more than glamorized picnic benches, and that chairs are easy to move and will have some...

I’ve been thinking a lot about the drama I have voluntarily invited into my life. What makes it even more ridiculous is that it’s not even real, which I suppose is worse and makes me appear bonkers. The only redeeming thing I can say about my state of sanity is that...

Well, I’ve given up. I’m throwing in the towel. At my age, one must give up many things, but on this particular day, I’m voluntarily and wholeheartedly giving up the idea of ever having a nice garden and landscape. For my entire adult life, I’ve fiddle-faddled and...