In case you’re wondering, the creepy monkey from last week is still there. The sight of it is weirdly comforting now. Why? Because, if it wasn’t, I’d wonder if it had moved on to terrorize another neighborhood. Though it could be hunting at night, and then returning right before dawn to lull me into a false sense of security. Yikes! When Charlie finally noticed the creepy monkey (he didn’t notice before because he’s always looking down at the pavement), he thought its eyes were so creepy, they must be cameras. So whenever we pass that mailbox, we make a face at it. Anyhoo, Charlie and me went to one of them outdoor flea markets over …

So I’m walking along with my dog, Cora, minding my own beeswax when this happens. It’s early, about 6:45, a beautiful morning. Birds are singing, sun is shining, the scent of new mown grass in the air. Then I see something sitting on a mailbox up ahead. It’s too big to be a squirrel and not the right color. And why is it not moving? What the heck? As I get closer, it comes into focus. It’s a monkey. Not just any monkey either. It’s a creepy monkey. A creepy monkey with real fur, perched up on that mailbox like it’s been just waiting for me. Now when you walk most every day in the …

I’ve been on a jag lately of reorganizing and freshening up the house. I try to tackle one project a week. These are not just any projects. They’re the ones that have been on my list for a dogs age and I never seem to get to them. The kind of stuff that takes up space in your head and on your list of things to do. Then, when you actually roll up your sleeves and do ‘em, they take less time than you thought they would. You feel great after, and think, Why’d I wait so long. I’m talking about reorganizing the junk drawer, repotting plants, cleaning out our storage closet. I’ve finally gotten …

So, I’m standing at the check-out of one of them new, “old fashioned” general stores, clutching a bag of penny candy, when I suddenly spy the fudge counter. What a dilemma! The Women Who Run With the Moose (me and my friends Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot and Shirley) take field trips from time to time, and we were on our way home from a whirlwind shopping excursion to the outlet malls in North Conway. Plum tuckered out from all that bargain hunting, we needed a little nourishment to fuel our trip back to Mahoosuc Mills. That’s when the store appeared right on cue. We piled out of Shirley’s Bonneville and went in search of sustenance. …

Charlie went Home Depot last week, and wrote a poem about it. Cute Cashier Cute cashier in the check-out line Perky as heck at the start of her shift Perky’s contagious, you catch my drift? A good day, I’d say she’s begun it If she’d asked me to stand on my head, I’d have done it Or tried, anyway It wouldn’t be pretty I might have more luck If I sung her a ditty But people behind me Don’t need a song They need me to pay her And just move along Cute cashier in the check-out line Perky and cute, that’s a real gift Gives an ol’ bugger like this one a lift A …

Saturday morning, off I go to walk the dog. We step onto the deck, about ready to go down the stairs and yikes! That part of the deck collapses and down I go. Luckily, Cora was ahead of me, so she was okay. And so was I, amazingly. Three boards let go and I went straight down about three and a half feet. My first thought was, thank God it wasn’t Charlie. I knew he was going to the transfer station later in the morning and would be carrying stuff. Plus, it was a Ida-sized hole and I landed on my feet in the middle of it. Not a scratch on me. I’m thinking it …

The Women Who Run With the Moose got together for our girls night on Thursday. Betty was hosting and she was serving nachos and these skinny watermelon margaritas. Oh, they were wicked tasty! Right from the get go, us girls were talking a mile a minute, per usual. Hard to get a word in edgewise, but I managed. “So last Saturday, I was at the baked bean supper down to the Congo Church,” I begin, “and who do I run into but Eleanor Purdy.” Celeste goes, “That old gal must be pushing ninety.” “Eighty-eight next week, she told me. Heck, she pretty much announced it to everyone there. Still lives at home. Well, she was …

So, I’m working checkout at the A&P, right? When I hear this conversation out of the corner of my ear: two women, voices lowered, talking fast in an urgent sort way. I mean, who wouldn’t listen in? “He wakes me up every morning at 5:00.” “Every morning?” “Like clockwork. I don’t mind it so much on weekdays. I have to be up for work, anyways. But, it’s the weekends, too.” “You think he’d let you sleep in at least one morning.” “Nope. He just won’t give it a rest. At first I thought it was kind of cute, you know? But frankly, it’s wearing me down!” “I don’t blame you. Not every morning.” Well, my …

My name’s Ida, and I’m an office supplies addict: highlighters, Post-its, paper clips, folders, organizing bins, free pens, pads of paper in hotels, clip boards, Sharpies in all shapes and sizes, you name it. I’ve tried turning it over to a higher power, but that higher power is usually Staples, if you know what I’m saying. To be honest, I’ve dabbled around with office supplies for years, and most of the time it’s manageable. Sure, I’ve been known to over highlight a book I’m reading or color code activities in my calendar. And I admit I did get a little crazy when the Post-it flags and arrows come out. And, full disclosure, Charlie came close …

Aren’t the daffodils are just gorgeous right now? There’s something about that green and yellow that’s just so darn hopeful. And the flowering trees are doing their thing. Wow! Puts a bounce in my step. The older I get, the more I appreciate spring. Well, all the season’s really, but especially spring. It’s hard to complain, though some folks manage. And they always seem to come to my register down to the A&P with a full cart, I might add, and coupons! I try to keep it light, but it’s challenging. There’s Claudia Peavey, okay? She a “yeah, but” kind of gal. Don’t matter what you say, she’ll “yeah, but” you. You know the type. …