How a Writer Buys a Purse

Step 1: Admit you need one. I have resisted this for, oh, 40 years. I find purses a great nuisance. Historically I’ve aimed for the smallest purse possible, just for essentials. But I’m slowly turning into a bag lady. A small notebook lets me jot down...

Mama Says #24

I don’t even know the context of this comment. My brother, who shares a home with my mother, is on alert for the quippy things she says. (Yes, I know quippy is not a dictionary kind of word, but I’m not writing a dictionary.) Fulfilling his duties, he sent me a text...

Who Do You Think You Are?

“Who do you think you are?” Do you hear the tone in that question? It’s a little scoldy. Like, “Do you really think you’re someone who deserves that privilege?” Like, “Who are you to think you can step out of your place?” (Or who do you think you are that you can...

Mama Says #23

My mother still listens to my troubles. She doesn’t complain all that much about her own. I might grouse about coming up with money for a crown after a trip to the dentist. (If it’s not me, it’s my husband. Every. Dang. Year.) Or maybe I feel like...