The other day, I was chatting with Charlie at supper, like you do. We’re catching up on our day, what happened at work, all that. I was telling him about running into Claudia Peavey down to the A&P. I’ve told you about Claudia and her husband Kurt before. Charlie and me refer to them as the “Yeah, but’s.” Meaning, don’t matter what you say to them, they’ll “yeah, but” you. For example, I say, “Hi, Claudia. Beautiful day out there, isn’t it?” And Claudia replies, “Yeah, but, it’s supposed to rain tomorrow.” You know the drill. So Charlie says to me, “What’s up with Claudia’s eyebrows?” Charlie asks me questions like this all the time. …

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 …

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone again. Thanksgiving is bittersweet for me. It was my mom’s favorite holiday, so it’s not the same without her fussing around the kitchen, getting everything just right. It’s been nineteen years since she passed, and lately I’ve been really missing her. Don’t know why. Maybe it’s because dad’s pushing 90 and fading. He’s no longer the guy with the stories and the quick come back at the table. Now, we have a portable ramp to get him into the house in a wheelchair. It’s nice he can still be included, but it’s stressful getting him into and outta the car. To be honest, nowadays Thanksgiving just seems like a …

It’s been five months since Cora came into our lives, and boy, has she blossomed! She’s such a sweet, smart girl! Cora had a fenced in yard where she lived before, and so with us she had to get used to doing her business on a leash, with Charlie or me watching. That was an adjustment. Because she was a Grand Champion, she’d only been on a leash when she was shown. So when we took her out for a walk, she did a great job of not pulling. But, she didn’t stop and sniff things, you know, like a dog. Instead, she was always looking up at us for direction, just wanting to please. …

The other day, Charlie and me were out walking Cora around the neighborhood. We passed Frank Ward’s place. He has a bigger than usual garage and works on vintage cars in his spare time. He’d just gotten a delivery of a new, old car, and there’s a couple of guys from away hanging out, coffee mugs in hand. Never seen ‘em before. The owners maybe? Being neighborly, I say, “Hi, there.” And Charlie goes, “Boy, that sure is beauty. Looks like it just needs a little TLC.” Then outta the blue, one of the guys (who frankly seemed a little lit to me) looks at us and goes, “Did you know there are three types …

One of the things I love most about Charlie is he sees what needs to be done and does it. No need to form a committee, and discuss it to death. No ignoring it and hope someone else will step up to the plate. (Okay, to be honest, there were a few incidents where he left a scrap of toilet paper on the roll instead of replacing it. Hey, no one’s perfect.) But all in all, my Charlie’s a doer, and that includes writing poetry about what he’s doing. Here’s the latest. Happy to Have Done My Bit Today I saw a scary sight Drivin’ back to my abode Something dark was sitting right In …

Charlie’s been in overdrive with his poetry, and I’m grateful for that. I’m still getting used to being back at work with my eye not being 100%. I find I’m a little more tired than usual. I think it’s because my good eye is having to work overtime because the vision in my other eye is pretty blurry and a little distorted. Still, it’s good to be easing into life and finding my new normal. I’m appreciating every minute of it, especially coming home to our little love bug, Cora, putting my feet up and kicking back with the big guy. Anyhoo, here’s Charlie’s latest. They say “move it or lose it.” I guess that’s …

After two months off, due to my eye situation, I finally returned to the A&P last week. Felt like a kid going back to school. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Check out this post. It’ll bring you up to speed. Returning to the A&P was like coming home. It put some normalcy back into my life, and I can’t tell you how good that feels. I’m still getting used to my eye not being 100%. I thought the bubble would be long gone by September. “They,” meaning the internet, said these sorts of bubbles are usually absorbed back into your body in six to eight weeks. Eight weeks was September 1, and my bubble …

I ran into my old friend Joan at the DQ the other day. She was ordering a banana split. “Hey there, Joan,” I says. “What are you celebrating?” (See, I knew it had to be a special occasion. I mean, you don’t order a banana split for nothing, right? Joan goes, “I just went for a stress test. You know, to check out your heart. Make sure you’re not about to keel over.” “Oh, I’ve never had one of those. Were you nervous?” “You betcha. Number one, I don’t like to break a sweat. Ever. And B, I’m not what you’d call real athletic.” “I hear you.” “Still, I wanted to ace the test. Mostly …

You can’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. It’s true for kids, and personal experience has taught me, it’s true for seniors, too. What with my eye situation and the heat, sleeping good has been a challenge for both me and Charlie. ‘Til last night. I’ll let the Poet Laureate of Mahoosuc Mills tell you all about it. The Couch She’s pitching about Like a boat on the sea And pulling the covers Right off of me A night without sleep That’s what I’m dreading I know exactly Where I am heading The couch That is where I always go The couch When she gets to fidgeting so An island of peace Where …