Having not lost a spouse, it’s likely you don’t have a good feel for all the things that you lose along with that spouse.  Likewise, you probably don’t have a good feel for the name problem – so many things have to be renamed.  The problem isn’t immediately obvious.  But trust me, it sneaks up and vomits all over casual conversations. Continue reading What’s In A Name? →

I find that one of the hardest things to throw away are Maggie’s hair clips, the little spring-loaded teeth things that gripped her long hair either in a pony tail or up out of her eyes.  I’m not sure why.  But for some reason those hurt. Continue reading Hair Clips →

Twapt!  The sound both startled and sickened me.  Having lived in this amazing house with so many windows for the last eleven years, I knew that distinct sound well.  It wasn’t a sound of happiness.  An examination of the kitchen windows confirmed my suspicions.  One of the tallest windows had a lingering fuzzy feather stuck to it which was framed by smear marks.  And lying, dazed, on the ice-cold flagstone outside was a small female red bird.  Damn. Continue reading A Story About a Bird →