Yes, you read that right. I’m referring to Patsy down to Hair Affair. Was I ever singing hosannas the day she finally opened back up, let me tell you! Getting my hair cut and styled made me feel like myself again. Let’s just say, for me anyways, Patsy had some damage control to do. See, I’d attempted cutting my own hair while watching a tutorial on YouTube, but it wasn’t near as easy as the gal made it out to be. Or maybe I was just distracted by her lips. It looked like she’d been stung by a bee, but I think it was the kind of thing she paid money for. Yikes! I’d touched …

Most of us are doing are best right now. Sure, there are those yahoos at Cumbies that don’t wear a mask even though there are signs everywhere saying you have to. These are the same folks who think “14 Items or Less” is there to make the express lane faster for them and their 24 items of more. But for the most part, people seem to be hanging in there, trying to go by the rules. But sometimes, you forget. Like yesterday on my walk ‘round the neighborhood with Scamp, I saw my elderly neighbor, Paul, sitting on his front porch. He’d been failing over the winter with pneumonia and a fall and I hadn’t …

Do you ever remember your face itching so much? I don’t. But put on a face mask, and that’s all I think about. Or don’t think and catch myself in the act. Charlie, too.  I Do Wash my hands? Sure, OK Ten times a day? OK, OK No need to ask, I wear a mask And gloves, depending on the task But if there’s a place Upon my face That I gotta itch, I do Sure, I’ll cough into my arm Won’t do my flannel any harm And if we stand six feet apart That’s not about to break my heart I take precaution, Same as you, But if I gotta itch, I do I …

Couple weeks ago, Charlie nicely volunteered to go down to the A&P on Tuesday morning and pick up some basics, meaning toilet paper. They let the employees (and their families) shop before the store opens on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I just happen to know that on Monday nights a certain much in demand paper product just might be delivered. It’s been stressful for us cashiers on the front lines of this thing, day in and day out, and I just couldn’t wrap my head around going to the A&P when I’m not working. So Charlie stepped up to the plate, like he does. Marriage is all about team work, right? It was the day …

When the world’s your toilet, it’s hard to decide where to go and for how long. You gotta think things through and that involves a lot of sniffing. Well, it does for our dog, Scamp. I image it’s like reading the morning paper for the little guy. I admit, I’m more patient for this kind of dawdling or “dog-ling” as I call it, than Charlie is. I figure it’s Scamp chance to catch up with what’s new in the neighborhood. But Charlie’s a man on a mission. “Get ‘er done,” is his motto. He and Scamp have long discussions about it.  Our Discussion OK, fella, hup, hup hup! Come here, so I can cinch you …

The Poet Laureate of Mahoosuc Mills is at it again! It Could Have Been Worse  Damn snow blower crapped out in the slush So I began to shovel what I could of the mush Now I’m in the recliner, my wife’s the nurse My back is out of whack, but it could’ve been worse      It could have been worse, what else can you say?      Tylenol’s working, I’m doin’ OK      I’ll get to that slush, but first things first:      The Bruins are playin’, it could have been worse The doctor thought I should take a memory test I suspected that I wouldn’t score among the best So it wasn’t …

Moving too fast is usually my MO. Just like my mom, I’m pretty quick on my feet and pride myself on multitasking to the max. Scamp, who tends to be right on my heels, has to have good reflexes. I’m forever almost trampling him as I quickly change direction because I remembered something else I needed to do or something I forgot in another room. Poor little fella always looks startled, and I admit every once and awhile a word not meant for Scamp’s sensitive ears escapes my mouth because I’m startled, too. Now Charlie’s not what I’d call a multitasker, and is usually good at concentrating on the chore at hand. He’s methodical and …

Part of a happy marriage, in my opinion, is knowing what you’re good at and doing it. I’m a big fan of division of labor. Forcing Charlie to clean the house with me would be hell for both of us. And truth be told, I have no interest in going to the dump, mowing the lawn, or (God forbid!) snow blowing. We’ve just kind of negotiated and specialized over the years, and now we’re in a rhythm with it. Here’s Charlie’s take on this. I Do the Dishes Our kitchen is tiny There’s no room for two So when Ida’s cooking She tells me to shoo Me in the way Is not what she wishes …

This week, winter arrived in Mahoosuc Mills, and not in a good way. The bad news is we got a major dumping of snow. The good news? You don’t have to finish raking your yard. Poor Charlie, one day he was rushing to put the garden to bed and two days later he was snow blowing. But that’s life, right? It’s darn near impossible to get it all done, and that’s okay. Blow It Off ‘Til Spring Got the deck chairs in And the table put away Never brushed the grill But that’s OK I’m afraid I couldn’t Get to everything Gonna have to just Blow it off ‘til spring I never quite finished Rakin’ …

The poet of Mahoosuc Mills strikes again. Boots Need Waxing Boots need waxin’ once a year ‘Specially if you’re hunting deer Any decent goo will do “Moose snot” is what we call it, here It kind of looks like that to us. To use it, you don’t have to fuss: Brush your boots off to begin, Then gob it on and rub it in Your huntin’ day will not be blotted If your boots are good and snotted Mine were not when we set out And I went on my own to scout  These tracks that started leading me Around this big, blown-over tree On down a hill with rocks and such And through this …