A Honey of a Smile
Patrick Square’s Farmer’s Market was buzzing with activity yet the sky behind Liydia Vdovichenko had grown menacing. The threat of a thunderstorm was in the air yet she wasn’t fazed. There were shoppers with money in their hands and she had something precious for sale. Honey. Made by her family’s bees, gathered by the […]
I’ll have St. Pete with a Squeeze of Lime
The rain pelted against the house, sounding like rocks tossed by an angry neighbor, waking us well before our six am alarm went off. I trudged out of bed, turned up the heater then returned with two cups of strong coffee and crawled under the blankets. A strong gust lashed against the windows as my […]
The Ripple Effect
“Mom? It’s John. Just calling to say we’re home now.” We had spent an entire week with my mother. We cooked for her almost every day, took her out for oysters, looked through old photos, sat with her in the kitchen and shared coffee, and listened as she told stories of her childhood to […]
Sky Dive
At 7,000 feet, the jump master opened the door and offered me a thumbs up. The air whooshed through the cabin, animating the nylon of my jumpsuit. As the green patchwork gently retreated past the spinning props and whistling wingtips, I stood up, gripped the hand rail, and hesitated. “John, I have a job I […]
My Underwear was Showing
Rob’s face held no secrets. His last six days had been sleepless, full of pain and suffering, tears and anguish and it showed. His brother, just 34 years old, lay in a linen-draped casket just an arm’s reach away. What must have been going through Rob’s mind? Perhaps visions of the two of them […]
Blondie in The Water
I love salt water. I love being tossed about by the wave and I love feeling the tug and push of the tides. I find it mesmerizing. I can’t think of a better example to describe our planet’s forces of nature. Get into the salt water on an East coast beach and you won’t need […]
Our Last Kiss
Our last kiss Was it that long ago? A smile, a hug, a caress Once so abundant Promise me Never taken for granted A hand Delicate, steady, firm Tell me, it’s still there A laugh, a twinkle, applause Thank you, it meant so much A dream, a wish, a prayer Persuade me, it’s all […]
Get Back on That Horse!
“Goodnight John. Goodnight Tommy. Oh, and in the morning, before you get out of bed make sure you shake out your shoes real hard before you put them on, just in case a scorpion crawled in during the night. And if one does comes out, squash it with your shoe. I love you.” And with […]
A High Note
Finally the rain had abated. The last four or five Saturday mornings have been awash in combinations of rain, lightning, wind and thunder. However, this past weekend the biggest meteorological threat was sunburn. We all slept in to what I consider late, 7:30 for the adults, 9:00 for the teenagers. After sharing coffee and […]
Dear God,
It’s been six months and you know how your people love milestones and I guess I’m no different. So I’m writing to say thank you. I know I promised I was going to do some things better but I don’t feel like I’ve followed through. I promise I’m trying. I apologize for not coming to […]