Entries by Sallie

I can cruise, too….a postscript

February 25, 2015 in /by

Who knew there could be so many questions but there were. I’ll try to answer them as best I can….this was a long, long time ago, remember. The good news is that Sue, travelling companion, college roommate and friend, has, I believe, an “eiditic” memory…she forgets very little. She is my resource for these attempts […]

I can cruise, too.

February 22, 2015 in /by

It’s that time of year. I listen dreamily to the beautiful cruises our friends are taking. Fabulous ports of call, elegant staterooms, exquisite food, warm climates. Now go back a few years in time and envision a giant grey freighter, named The Keystone State. On board were a large steel and metal working crew, three […]

Who’s cold?

February 15, 2015 in /by

I am. Almost all of the time. There’s either too little heat or too much air conditioning. Our cars are stashed with extra jackets, sweaters, scarves, socks, hats…you name it. I have to be armed and ready. Ask my family. When we sit down at a restaurant table, they know to check the silverware. Not […]

Where’s our mail?

February 8, 2015 in /by

We are having trouble, right here on the river, getting our mail. It’s a long story and not worth going into but when you don’t get your mail, especially bills, you don’t pay them because you don’t know when they’re due or how much you owe and then things like phones, electricity, and water get […]

A Ghost Story. Act Two.

February 1, 2015 in /by

My mother’s presence in the form of the sweet odors continued, following us through each of the four moves we made after her death. (There were no more brownies, alas.) I began to look forward to them as a means of communication and healing with her. They came to us less frequently and some of […]

A Ghost Story. Act One.

January 25, 2015 in /by

The curtain opens on a sun room with comfortable sofas and chairs and a delicate little rose wood chair, the seat of which my mother had needlepointed. No one ever sat in the chair. It was old and fragile, purely a decorative item. She had made a pair of them. After her death, the family […]

The Foot

January 18, 2015 in /by

Most likely, if you’ve had any contact with me over the last five years, you know about The Foot. It has a neurological disorder which is more of an annoyance than anything but sometimes it has enough pain to go past annoyance. All attempts in the south of finding an answer have failed so I […]

Camellias

January 11, 2015 in /by

The camellia is a lovely flower, perhaps one of the most beautiful and appealing, coming in a number of varieties to satisfy the most distinguished of…..  Ahem….Excuse us…  Yes, who are you?  We are the poets and the writers who have, through the years , written…most likely more eloquently than you….. about flowers and gardening […]

Everything Old Is………

January 4, 2015 in /by

New again. Really! At Christmas dinner, I asked my teenage granddaughter what her favorite Christmas gift was and she said it was a record player. I assumed that she was taking into account my age, my ignorance about electronics and was, thoughtfully, sparing me the details of some fancy music-making thingie. Record player indeed. I […]

Screened doors/ Back doors

December 28, 2014 in /by

The very words imply family, good friends, easy and trusted relationships, entry into the heart of the house. Why do we always lock the front door and leave the back door wide open? Do we really think that a serious burglar isn’t going to check out the back? That our neighbors will always be there […]

Christmas and Love

December 22, 2014 in /by

Christmas is love so, appropriately, here’s a little love story. They met in Georgia 60 years ago….well, they really didn’t meet…no one introduced them. They just happened to be at the same place at the same time. She thought she was this little sophisticated 15 year old, on the prowl for the preppy boys. Lounging […]

The Christmas Spirit

December 14, 2014 in /by

The year was 1961. I was working in Boston at the New England Conservatory of Music as a receptionist. It was, in all respects, a wonderful year. I was in love (still am) and was surrounded by talented, generous and joyful people. But Christmas was always hard for me. What to give to my parents? […]

Insanity Rules

December 7, 2014 in /by

About this time last year, I get a call from my neighbor. She has a fairy outfit. I’ve seen it. It’s quite elaborate if not breathtaking. She’s eager to wear it on Christmas Eve at the shopping mall. She would distribute peppermint candy canes and bring joy and light to all of those doing their […]

Thanksgiving 2014….more of a little letter than anything else.

November 30, 2014 in /by

Dear Friends: Well, the weather, Ferguson and a snuffly cold put a real wet blanket on our Thanksgiving plans this year. Thus our feet remained firmly planted at home with the cats. It was tempting to hike up the air conditioning, put a fire in the fireplace, and pretend we were cuddled up with family […]

Ode to the radish

November 23, 2014 in /by

    Especially at this time of Thanksgiving, I have the great pleasure of being part of a small team who work on Monday mornings to receive food from that most generous of organizations, Second Helpings. We clean, organize and bag food for the needy people of Bluffton and its surroundings. When that truck arrives, […]