Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Tag: dailyprompt
Start Me Up: Old Gal at 100
Dear Jan, I’m hoping you’re still called Jan but betting you’ve transitioned to Mother Wilberg or Miss Jan. Jan doesn’t seem quite aged enough for a 100-year-old gal. Gal. Old gal. Hey old gal! How’s it going? Are you cheery? Are you glad? Are… Continue Reading “Start Me Up: Old Gal at 100”
The Lost Art of Dying and Closed Captioning Walk into a Bar
What I learned today is too depressing to talk about for very long. I sum it up by saying that I attended a fascinating and beautifully constructed presentation on “The Lost Art of Dying,” which included artists’ very detailed depictions of the plague in… Continue Reading “The Lost Art of Dying and Closed Captioning Walk into a Bar”
They’re Fine, All Good
“How are your kids?” This is always the check-in question with folks I’ve known a long time or, more specifically, folks who knew my kids when they were young. “Oh, they’re fine. All good,” I always answer and then, if the mood strikes me,… Continue Reading “They’re Fine, All Good”
It’s Not All about Genes: DIY
I really thought at my age I would know how to do more things. My parents could do anything. My dad built a house, starting with getting a team of horses and some kind of shovel thing to dig out a basement. That is… Continue Reading “It’s Not All about Genes: DIY”
Boredom: An Endlessly Flowing Fountain of Words
What bores me? People who feel compelled to say everything, speak all the words, ignore other people’s strained expressions, and ignore the enormous disparity between how long they are talking and how long other people talk. I love a good story. A great summary… Continue Reading “Boredom: An Endlessly Flowing Fountain of Words”
Women in the Kitchen
Women in the kitchen. More specifically, women in the kitchen who are stirring the soup or shredding the carrots or opining about the doneness of the roast. Or in another iteration, women in the kitchen who are packaging meals for people who are homeless.… Continue Reading “Women in the Kitchen”
Patriotism: Flags are Great but Showing Up is Better
My former neighbor, a tall spare woman named Moreau, decided that every 4th of July, we should help her hang her enormous American flag between our two houses. This was possible because our houses, very old and very tall, were separated by a driveway… Continue Reading “Patriotism: Flags are Great but Showing Up is Better”
A Mechanical Horse and a Bag of Dimes
A great title is a chocolate covered cherry. Take this title, for example: A Mechanical Horse and a Bag of Dimes. Right away, you know there’s something going on there. There has to be a deeper meaning. The whole thing must be a metaphor… Continue Reading “A Mechanical Horse and a Bag of Dimes”
Hints of What was to Come: My Parents at 75
My parents were still thinking it was funny when my mother put the butter in the dishwasher. They had no idea what was down the road for them. How much covering up my dad would do, how many excuses he’d make, how many things… Continue Reading “Hints of What was to Come: My Parents at 75”
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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