Nearly empty now, her mother’s storage unit only held two cardboard boxes and an old leather suitcase. But memories of her mother lingered, hanging in the air, almost visible. “Not much to show for the life of a seamstress,” Julie sighs. The boxes, like many of the others are full of cloth, odds-and-ends, bits-and-pieces, multi-colors, the…

Two months and still she couldn’t figure out how she wanted her new apartment to look. Table here – or over there; her couch in the only place it would fit. “At least I know where I want my artwork,” she told herself as she sat on the floor looking around the room. It was…

Once again we’re hearing stories about Universities having safe-spaces and crying rooms. I didn’t go to college, no, I joined the military for my ‘higher learning.’ “To each his (or her) own,” is how I figured it. We didn’t have safe-spaces. In fact, we really didn’t have any sort of space we could call our…

No one said the married life was an easy life. Especially when you marry a woman who becomes a beast on the eve of a full-moon and then again on the new moon. The hairy legs and arm pits are easy enough to live with. And believe me, her howling isn’t as bad as her…

Nearly eight years ago I wrote a short history about how the statue of President William McKinley came to grace the town square of Arcata, California. This was long before the idea that removing statues and other symbols, because they were somehow offensive, became a political tool, weaponized to rewrite U.S. history, both small-scale and…

“You know,” Tabby said, “I really don’t mind living with my Human after all.” Mishka responded without taking her eyes off the bird sitting on the nearby outside window sill, “Yeah, why’s that?” “To start with, they feed us and we don’t have to work for our food like that dumb Dog does,” Tabby answered.…

“So, dad,” the boy started. “Yeah?” the father answered. “How did man first figure out that a cow tasted good cooked?” “That’s an odd question, kiddo.” “I don’t think so.” “Really? You couldn’t ask me about why the grass is green or the sky is blue?” “Oh, Dad, those are easy questions with easy answers.”…

Flying. It’s jus’ not my thing anymore — at least commercially. The prices are too high. You have to get to the airport much too early for your flight. And crowds, crowds, crowds. Then there’s the long lines leading up to and through security. Take-off your belt, take-off your shoes, get wanded, pat-down and a…

The inlet of water was deeper than it was wide, creating a darkness that looked as foreboding as its name of ‘Deadman.’ But neither the name or the shadow deterred Mason from his goal. The boat was almost too small for both Mason and his cello as he rowed to the center of the inlet and…

“Happiness is an inside job,” goes the old saw. We think we know what makes us happy and we make time for those activities we believe fill our lives with happiness. Yet if you keep yourself open to it, you may find happiness in some very surprising places. For me, it was as I did…