We purchased five acres of land once only to find out at closing that it had no actual road frontage. It was not landlocked. It simply did not touch the road. The deed was recorded before the existing roadway was paved and the winding drive now passed by our property a dozen or so feet …
Focus
Amelia stood at the end of the kitchen island, sticker sheet in hand, matching uppercase letters to the alphabet page in her notebook. Ezra climbed up beside her and reached for a sticker so I pulled out his notebook, flipped to the first blank page and handed him a sheet of animal stickers. He eagerly …
Built For Me
Amelia has already staked her claim on a bedroom in her new house. We watched as the foundation was poured and the walls went up. The doors and windows stand ready in the garage, waiting to be installed. Giant metallic limbs spiral down from the attic like an overgrown octopus held back by a net …
Who Is Your Yes?
“Daddy’s not here,” I told Jake on my way from the kitchen to the laundry room for the third time in half an hour. His head pops up anytime I walk near the garage door between eleven and two. His internal clock keeps trying to push dinner earlier and earlier. “You can wait until at …
Level
“There’s something wrong with your level, Papa,” my nephew, Caden said after applying it repeatedly to the surface of one board after another of the foundation of my niece, Ava’s tiny home. My dad, who is overseeing the ongoing construction project, learned contracting mostly from his dad but also from his father in law, my …
Wish I Had Known
I spent Sunday morning in the emergency room at my local hospital being evaluated for any and everything that may have caused floaters to appear abruptly in my right eye. After observing no facial drooping, having me extend first one arm and leg and then the other and comparing my grip strength, the triage nurse …
Skewed
Our Great Dane, Jake is so big that every other dog looks, well, not so big. I’ve been shadowed by Jake with his long legs and massive body for the past eight years until my dad’s Labrador Retriever, Buddy, who is fairly large for a Lab resembles a Welsh Corgi. When my dad was hospitalized …
Ultimate Freedom
“Your daddy preached a good sermon this morning,” my mom confided, concern heavy in her voice. “But all afternoon he’s been resting in his recliner and he’s gone to bed early. I think he must have the flu.” We had planned to take the four grandchildren to see their great grandparents on Monday and my …
I Hope I Never Forget
When I see my sons and daughters with my grandchildren, I get glimpses of their childhoods. When their children struggle with discipline or sleep patterns, I wish I could remember more of what I tried that worked or that didn’t but there are so many blanks in my memory of my early years of parenting. …
The Lie That Keeps Deceiving
“That’s what you want. Are you sure?” I asked before ordering Amelia’s ice cream. “Because I’m having this one with chocolate, peanut butter, banana, and almonds,” I added, pointing to the picture on the menu. “Ezra is sharing with me. You could share with us,” I offered one last time. “I don’t like chocolate,” she …
A Fitting Reply 