Entries by Sallie

Be Careful What You Wish For

Or, in this case, what you whistle for. Our family has a “family whistle.” It came, like a dowry, from The Mister’s family.  We used it to round up our children, and they, subsequently, to round up theirs.  Our great-grandchildren are too young to whistle but they know what it means. It means, simply, to […]

She Sells Seashells Down by the Seashore

Yeah, yeah, we all know she does and has done so for years, even though we still have trouble articulating it.  It’s old news.  But now, if she’s a savvy seashell seller, she will go shopping for a She Shed. Said “She Shed” will surely give both seller and seashells shelter from sudden showers and […]

What To Do????

Make believe you’re the director of a non-profit organization.  You’re always on the prowl for money.  It’s what you do.  It’s what you have to do if you and your organization are going to survive.  That money’s not gonna raise itself. Or will it? That depends on the organization, of course.  What if it’s a […]

Aw, shucks.

Just when you think you’ve found common ground with new friends, it all falls apart. We do, sadly, live in a divisive country. We can talk around the elephant in the room, pretend it doesn’t exist, act like it doesn’t matter and then someone, innocently, serves up a tomato sandwich and all hell breaks loose. […]

I wish I’d gone to jail.

Not because I’d committed a crime.  That’s not something I’d do.  Or ever wish I had. I do, however, wish I had been arrested and sent to jail because I felt strongly enough about something to get in the way.  To protest.  To sit-in.  To stand-up.  To understand the power of one.  To be fiercely […]

Boy, Did I Ever Get Lucky

See, I knew them…… Before they were elected “Best Documentary Directors” by the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. Before MOMA put together a retrospective of their work. Before Rotten Tomatoes gave them a 98% rating for their newest documentary. Before they were both elected to the prestigious Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. They […]

Check in, check up, check out

We are incredibly fortunate to have good health care.  And we’re even luckier to have good health care providers.  Most of them have been part of our lives for 20 years or more.  We’re not just on a first name basis; we exchange hugs and family stories.  That easy manner is a balm for a […]

I Play Bridge

Yes, I do and have done so longer than nearly anyone I know.  I learned at my parents’ table.  At a very early age.  Long before I could even hold 13 cards in one hand.  And I’ve enjoyed the game for all these years. The fact that I play bridge doesn’t make me a bridge […]

Back to School Time

It’s that time of year. The promise of some nippy mornings just around the corner. The excitement of new beginnings. And, especially, the ritual of back to school shopping. New clothes.  Fresh sneakers.  And paper goods.  Lots and lots of paper goods. That was always the best for me. The paper goods.  New notebooks.  Three […]

Funerals

                                      We attended one earlier this week.  She was a good friend. She had established a code…. a way of life….that so many admired and valued. Even though she’d recently shown signs of failing, we, who knew her, hoped she’d pull through. It wasn’t an easy decline.  We’d watched over the last couple of years […]

Class Notes

I attended an all-girls high school.  It’s a small school and I always look forward to the alumnae magazine and its class notes.  Catch up on what everyone’s been doing. I like to start at the back with the young graduates.  They’re so full of hope, energy and enthusiasm.  As you’d expect, they report weddings, […]

Finnegan. Please begin again.

So much began with Finnegan, the cat.  He unknowingly facilitated our relationship with the historic house on the May River and our happy years there.  I’d say he was the ”catalyst” for all that but it’s a bit too punny.  Even for me. Finnegan was plucked from the old house because one member of his […]

Headlines from our Local Newspaper

 According to a recent article in the Island Packet, the staff of the town of Hilton Head has been asked to “define a garden shovel in legal terms.” Doesn’t that sound like a silly assignment?   Surely it’s a waste of time and taxpayer’s money.  Just imagine all those group outings to Lowe’s and Home Depot?  […]

Me and My Blog Site

Yes, I have a site for this blog.  We wouldn’t be together right now if I didn’t.  But that doesn’t mean that I understand anything about its inner workings.  To wit:  I scrolled down into unknown territories the other day and found the following: “Yoast SEO has not fetched your site’s indexability status from RYTE.” […]

Wait!!!!

Was that my mother???  Barreling down I-95 with her car on fire? ? With sirens screaming and cars honking ???? And, according to the newspaper article, trying desperately to make it to Wendy’s before the inevitable explosion???? Yes.  Yes, I think it was. It wasn’t the car that tipped me off.  It was the destination. […]