Platitudes Top the List of Pet Peeves
Everybody has pet peeves. As a writer, banal platitudes top my list. After chatting about our busy schedules, an acquaintance recently admonished me to “stop and smell the roses.” While I appreciated the sentiment, deep in my wordsmith’s soul…
In Praise of the Squeaky Ball
Whoever invented the squeaky ball dog toy should either be revered or vilified; I haven’t determined which. Our dogs constantly inveigle us to play. They bring tug toys and rubber bones and set them in our laps, hoping to prompt…
Bears, Backroads and Seeing What You Can See
I spent my childhood Sundays sitting next to Grandma while she played nursery rhymes on the piano. “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” was my favorite; I was an animal lover and the song was easy to remember. I also…
Naughty Dog Deserves “I Told You So”
The Perils of Disobedience I do not ordinarily take pleasure in the misfortunes of others, nor do I gloat when I am proved right. With one exception. When a naughty dog of mine suffer the consequences of disobedience, I get…
The Supermarket Optimist
The local supermarket is an adventure best undertaken with optimism. Going to the supermarket triggers my inner optimist. Every time those automatic supermarket doors swing open, I anticipate a shopping experience memorably devoid of frustration, annoyance or embarrassment. I further…
Think Outside the Mailbox
Whoever said, “You can’t put a square peg in a round hole” obviously never met my mailman. Writers who use clichés are like street punks who use four-letter words. They lack the imagination to be original and are too…
