My grandmother lived through the depression, and sometimes she'd tell us stories when we were children, though not often.  These stories were never voluntary, per se, but usually in response to an innocent, childish question, such as, "Grandma, why do you buy so much bread?".  My grandmother also lived in a time where she knew what it was to be ( Read more... )

Well...
I went to do my laundry and found myself caught up in the sudden inexplicable yet undeniable need to buy pants.  So off I went on a quest to find pants.  This sounds like it should be easy, but it's so not.  Pants and I just do not get along.  At all.  I was in the dressing room, in the middle of a frenzy of putting on and taking off a ( Read more... )

A HUGE box just arrived at my door.  It was from my mother, and I thought, "What on earth is this?  She already sent me an early birthday present."  So I slit open the top, and I was greeted by packing peanuts and bubble wrap, with a card on top.  It said, "I found all of this stuff in the garage.  It's your apple kitchen stuff that you couldn't ( Read more... )

Mom called, and with absolutely no preamble whatsoever, the conversation went like this:

Me:    Hello

Mom:  Are there any alligators in that little lake?

Me:  What?

Mom:  I was looking at your apartment complex on line.  They have that virtual tour thingy, and there's a little lake.

Me:  Mom, that lake's not so little.  It's ten acres.

Mom:  Well are ( Read more... )