Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Tag: beauty
One Eye Seeing
The week has been eye-opening. Illuminating. Clarifying. Humbling. I had cataract surgery on my left eye. The process had all the accouterments of having surgery except I got to keep my jeans on which gave the whole thing kind of an outdoorsy feel. The… Continue Reading “One Eye Seeing”
Mane Event
Somehow, during the commercial break, a good-sized chunk of mascara fell from the guest commentator’s eyelashes and landed on her upper cheek. It wasn’t enormous but it was noticeable, about the size of dwarf Tic-Tac. The interviewer pretended not to notice, looking straight into… Continue Reading “Mane Event”
Arched
She examines my eyebrows, using her fingers with maroon nails to smooth the tiny hairs, pulling the light and magnifying glass closer to see exactly where the line of the arch should be. I lie on the table, my head on a slight incline,… Continue Reading “Arched”
Face Time
I looked at every picture a dozen times. Scrolled right then left, trying to find one that was more flattering, as my mother would say. “That dress is very flattering on you.” I wanted a flattering picture but there wasn’t one in the bunch.… Continue Reading “Face Time”
Facing the Sun
I criticized my sister’s vanity. She lived in California and she would never let the sun touch her face. She owned a house with a backyard pool but never swam. It baffled me and made me feel inferior, short-sighted, as if I didn’t understand… Continue Reading “Facing the Sun”
Water Lily
The afternoon light is so bright through the windows that the bottom of the pool is awash in sunshine. In the lane next to me, a beautiful Chinese woman in a swim cap and black racing suit with orange flames does a long swanlike… Continue Reading “Water Lily”
To the Grave
Shoes so beautiful they should be strung on a gold necklace and worn with a perfect black dress, buried for eternity, too wicked in life, the pain of walking remembered but now forgiven. _____________________ 33 words inspired by a photo of my beloved red… Continue Reading “To the Grave”
Scarface
It’s ten days before Christmas so I am going to write ten Christmas stores although I may need to draw on themes other than Christmas. So the title of this series is “Ten Christmas Stories that May Not Exactly be about Christmas.” This is… Continue Reading “Scarface”
Hey Good Lookin’
In my 100 Essays project, I’ve tried to write about what is front and center in my thinking that day. What is the big thought that has stuck with me? What makes this day different than others? Even when I wander around looking for… Continue Reading “Hey Good Lookin’”
Turning 65
The saltwater was the perfect treatment for the blisters I got from wearing the wrong shoes for a walk on the Old Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys that I had been planning for weeks to mark my 65th birthday. It is so… Continue Reading “Turning 65”
Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
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