Plastic Farm Animals
I set my flip phone on the table and look out a freshly-washed window at our greening lawn. It is Saturday, day four of my self-imposed covid-19 retreat, and plan-canceling has become second nature. I was able to say “No,” to grocery shopping, buddy strolls, and a writing workshop. Bob and I had a pivotal […]
Two couples hover over us, shifting their feet, blinking at the waitress, the women clutching their purses. Our waitress again sweeps her hand in an “L” across the table. Ten minutes earlier, we had been in their shoes, having walked in with our friends, Scotty and Diane. We, too had stood, questioning the waitress, looking […]
You settle into the plush, cold seat and reach for the safety belt. Without thinking, you poke a key into the ignition. Oliver whines and you wait until you hear the engine purr before pulling the car into reverse. For some time now, you’ve been on the lurk for a cassette player. Your collection of […]
We have reached the pissy part of winter, the cold, unforgiving phase I want to believe won’t happen year after year. “Don’t look at me,” Shelley says, which of course, makes me turn my head. It’s 26 degrees with a breeze — feels like 19 — and she is laughing, only her eyes visible, with […]
In 1919, when my grandmother went into labor with her first child, the doctor put down his bag and asked her to remove her panties. Horrified, she crossed her legs, pulled up her night shirt, and pointed to her protruding naval. “What do you want with my panties? The baby is coming out here,” she […]