Have you had these weird thick, white rain events? (I refuse to call it snow.) They’ve stopped now, I hope. But I got caught in one a couple weeks ago. I was driving to see dad and all of a sudden, I’m in a white, whirling mess and can hardly see. Only lasted about two minutes. Still, it left me feeling strange and unsettled. I hate seeing white stuff on the daffodils and forsythia. ‘Course it’s spring in Maine. Anything can happen. Spring, winter, spring all in one day (or even one hour) is par for the course. Happened to Charlie last week while he was walking Scamp. Snow Squall Snow squall bearing down on …

“Do ants sleep?” I wondered out loud. Charlie and me had just sat down to lunch Saturday (grilled cheese and tomato soup), and there was another one, grabbing our attention by crawling behind the salt shaker. See, every year about this time we seem to get ants in the house. It just wouldn’t be spring without them. Once summer goes into full swing, they’re gone, but gosh, they’re a nuisance while they’re here. We can never figure out where they’re getting in. The screen door? Some window? Who knows? Now if Scamp was more diligent about eating all his food when it’s served, like other dogs, that would help. Instead, he seems to put all …

This week, my sister Irene and me were able to visit Dad together down to Mahoosuc Green. That hasn’t been allowed since this whole Covid thing began. Up until now, it’s been only two people at a time, and both from the same household. Because his roommate was in the dining room with his own visitors, we got to visit Dad in his room. Dad is always telling me he needs nail clippers. But when they give him some, he loses them. The nurses have a lot to do, and they don’t always have time to cut his nails the way he likes ‘em. So this time, I decided to bring some clippers, emery boards, …

You know you’re old when: you go to bed fine, wake up the next morning, and your back is out. you stand up after sitting for a while, and you have a little Walter Brennan thing going. (If you don’t know who Walter Brennan is, this probably doesn’t apply to you. Yet.) you bend your knees a bit when you sneeze to “protect your back.” you sustain a napping related injury. You know, you wake up, stretch real big, and pull something in your neck. you take a car ride and stop somewhere to go the bathroom, and it takes you all the way to the door to stand up straight. Along with fat migrating …

Well, we just had our second Covid-Easter, but this one was more hopeful, right? It’s hard to believe that in a little over a year, we’d have a vaccine for this thing. (Three, actually, last I heard.) And more good news: Charlie and me are over halfway to being fully vaccinated. We get our second shot this Friday, and then two weeks later…well, I don’t know exactly what happens. I guess you could say we’ll be baked and ready to come out of the oven, gas gauges on full, our force fields up and lasers set to “stun!” Take that Covid-19! The regulations have changed some down to Mahoosuc Green, so yesterday Charlie and me …

A few weeks ago now, we had this wicked wind storm. Why, some of them gusts were “kill-a-witch” strong. Meaning strong enough to pick up our double-wide and drop us off in Oz! Charlie and me hardly slept all night. Thank goodness Scamp isn’t anxious in a wind or thunder storm. He saves his Nervous Nellie act for when we’re in the car. ‘Course once things settled down, the yard was a mess. Thankfully, that’s Charlie’s department. See, we have a separate but equal approach to chores. For the most part, I take care of the inside of the house and Charlie takes care of the outside. There is a little crossover. We do the …

Breaking news: Charlie and me got our first Moderna vaccine shot a week ago Friday. Wahoo! Next one’s scheduled for April 9th. That means that by the end of April, we’ll be able to get together inside with small groups of friends and family who’ve also been vaccinated. Hallelujah! What a relief to be finally in the pipeline! On Charlie’s birthday we got the call that our names had come up, and I scheduled our appointment for the next day. I says to Charlie, “What a great birthday present, huh?” “Yup.” “I’m not referring the fact that we got an appointment. I mean, that you won’t have to listen to me go on and on …

Every house project takes at least two, three, four times longer than you think it’s going to. The box that says “all parts included” is lying. You dive into repairing that little bit of rot outside the front door and discover it’s the tip of the iceberg. And don’t even get me going on window treatments and paint chips! Experience has taught me that if Charlie’s going to be attempting one of these little chores, it’s best if I’m out of the house. So Saturday, when Charlie announced he was going to install our new bathroom blind, I called up my sister, Irene. We went for a window visit with dad down to Mahoosuc Green. …

Sometimes it seems like being cranky, whining, complaining, and moping are the glue that holds us together. There are whole television programs devoted to it. And hey, I get it. We have a lot to be cranky about right now. Still gets on my nerves, though. Charlie, too. Cranky Don’t Cut It This fella Mel, who’s on my shift The one who operates the lift? Of all the guys we’re employing Mel’s become the most annoying ‘Cause if you need complaining done Mel’s your fella, he’s the one Who’ll get the other fellas riled Me, as well, it put it mild How he prattles, all day long ‘Bout everything that’s going wrong The roads, the …

Our little bundle of love, Scamp (also known as Boo-boo, Peanut, Pork Chop, the Boss, and Mini the Moucher), turned thirteen yesterday, and he still makes me smile every, single day. One minute, he’s acting like a grumpy old man and the next he’s playing like a puppy. Even though we got him from Poodle Rescue, Scamp’s not pure poodle. He’s a bichon/poodle mix or “bichpoo”, which makes him smart, stubborn and cute as all get out. Sure, he understands what you want him to do. He just doesn’t always want to do it. When he first arrived from Poodle Rescue, Scamp seemed like such a shy, little dog. Charlie and me found it kind …