Thoughts, experiences and adventures from a resident of DelSo aka Delaware Avenue South in Albany, N.Y.
In recent weeks, I've been focusing hard on a summer trip to Greece I've got booked. There are a lot of moving parts with that vacation and I've been occupied with finalizing dates for various locations, booking accommodations and doing my best to maximize opportunities to spend time with special friends and family who will … Continue reading California gold, no rush
There was a sudden loss recently in my oldest and dearest friend’s life, the death of a significant person in her life, as well as in the lives of countless others. The man lost had lived a life with many chapters and there was no doubt how special he was. One quick look around the … Continue reading Greeting the ghosts
Perhaps you remember the post I wrote about Rex Ogle’s memoir Free Lunch. That book centered on the year Rex was in 6th grade and detailed the physical, verbal and emotional abuse he suffered while living as a child with his mother, stepfather and younger brother. While I’ve never been physically abused, the book landed … Continue reading Punching Bag
Recently, I've been on a Lumineers kick and the title of this post comes from their song, Donna. It wasn’t the first lyric in the song that caught my ear, but it was the one that prompted me to write it down. Let’s just say it resonated. I’ve written, and even publicly spoken, about finding … Continue reading Your mother never was one
Saturday was a damp, grey day, certainly not the kind of day which inspires a 100 mile road trip. But, the plans had been made and downstate friends and I were meeting at my brother’s new house to celebrate his recent birthday. “House” is a bit of a misnomer in this case because where my … Continue reading (Re)Creating (dis)Comfort
It’s 1978. I’m in 6th grade and it’s picture day at school. My hair, freshly combed with the black, plastic pocket comb all students received, was long and straight. I wore a sage green smock top and my face was bare. Make-up was unheard of then for elementary grade students. I looked completely and utterly like … Continue reading Picture this
When I first encountered the book Free Lunch, I never imagined the slim volume relating the author’s experiences as a sixth grade student in Texas would revive so many of my own elementary feelings, if not experiences. In the work, published in 2019 and awarded the ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction medal, Ogle shares … Continue reading Rex Ogle is my spirit animal
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