Did you give up something for Lent? That used to be a big deal, didn’t it? I don’t think people do it so much, now. Seems the older I get, the harder it is to come up with something to abstain from during Lent. It’s not that I’m so pure. It’s that I’m so boring. All the food stuff I can think of (candy, ice cream, bacon), I shouldn’t be eating anyway. I’m not that big a drinker. And things like snapping at my husband, cursing and being judgmental, well, I should be watching out for those all year long. And giving up sex? Well, that’s a little extreme, don’t you think? Look, me and …

What’s Duffer Brain? Well, I’ll tell you in this short video teaser for my performances of “I Married an Alien!“ this weekend at The Footlights Theatre in Falmouth, ME.

Every house project takes at least two, three, four times longer than you think it’s going to. That 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, and we went down to the Busy Bee for breakfast, then on …

Here’s a little video teaser for my upcoming shows at The Footlight Theatre in Falmouth. I’ll be there doing I Married an Alien! March 30 & 31 at 7:30.  

In like a lion, out like a lamb, right? Let’s hope so because two blizzards in two weeks are two too many! I mean, you expect snow in Maine in March, but it looks like February out there. ‘Course we shouldn’t complain because February looked like March. Our snowstorm of a couple weeks ago dumped a foot or so of wet snow on Mahoosuc Mills, leaving the trees and power lines coated with heavy, white stuff. Not great for the power lines, but gosh, it’s was pretty darn beautiful the next morning. Along with the second blizzard, my flu, which I thought was behind me, decided to reassert itself and set up a party in …

I’m letting Charlie handle this week’s blog as I’m recovering from the flu. And yes, I did get the flu shot, but like a lot of things nowadays, it’s not 100%. The good news is I didn’t get as sick as I would have without the vaccine. It’s been a week and I’m starting to bounce back. Luckily, I was able to clear my schedule and do the rest and drink plenty of liquids deal. It’s about the only thing that really works with the flu. And Scamp is a good little nurse. Here’s Charlie’s latest poem. You Don’t Belong Indoors  There’s a stinkbug in the sink where I would really like to shave But to …

Last Thursday, I’m standing at my station at the A&P, register three, when who do I see in the produce section but James Brown. Not James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, the hardest working man in show business. No, I’m talking about James Brown, CPA, father of three and the hardest working accountant in Mahoosuc Mills. Well, since his father retired, he’s the only accountant in Mahoosuc Mills! He may be sharp with numbers, but there he was, hovering over the lettuce, looking perplexed. James married a gal he met at Dartmouth, Courtney Van Buren. The two of them worked in Boston until they were ready to start a family. Then James moved back to …

It’s been a few weeks since I finished radiation, and I’m starting to feel more myself. And heck, it’s almost March. March in Maine means even if you get snow, you still feel hopeful that spring is right around the corner. Now that I have more energy, I’m trying to catch up on some of the things I let slide. Still trying not to sweat the small stuff, but there’s a limit. I mean, dust bunnies the size of tumbleweeds? That’s just not right! Here’s a poem about what Charlie’s been up to lately. I Didn’t and Here We Are I coulda snow-blown while the snow was fluff Before it all turned to that crusty …

I had to go in for a mammogram last week. I know! I just finished radiation for breast cancer and I have go in for a mammogram? Don’t worry. They didn’t pancake the tender one, the one that was operated on and then irradiated. No, I get to have a mammogram on that one in six months. This was for my left breast. Now my boobs are on a different schedule. Honey, the girls have seen more action in the past few months than when Charlie and me were first dating! It’s the first time I’ve ever been nervous for a mammogram. Actually, I was a little cranky because I didn’t want to be there. …

Have you ever had a chore that just gets shuffled from one to-do list to another? Something that needs to be fixed or put away or thrown away, but you never to get to it. “Maybe tomorrow,” you say. But tomorrow never comes. And by the by, you don’t even notice anymore when you jiggle the handle of the pesky toilet. Or automatically bump your hip against that drawer that sticks when you come to shut it. Well, you’re not alone. Charlie got inspired. Not to do his chore, but to write a poem about not doing it. I’ll Get To It One Of These Days  There’s a nail head that catches my shovel, it …