Author Archives: Carol

My brothers and I looked forward to the summer months. Not for the hot days nor the warmth nor the sport opportunities. It was the bountiful garden of food.My dad sold appliances from Grandpa Clifford’s store. Mom had her hands full with four boys and myself. Creatively cutting up one round steak to feed sevenContinue reading “Bountiful Summer, May 29th 2023 537 words”

I loved to play in my home’s basement. It had a door to the garage and outside. There was a half bathroom with bamboo fishing poles and discarded sport equipment. I would try on the brown boxing gloves, finger the mermaid figure with hooks and try on lifejackets. Each panel of The walls were writtenContinue reading “Exploring cellars, May 22, 2023 644 words”

This day has bitter sweet memories for my family. Twenty three years ago, our mother, Rita Heatley -Turnbull left this life for another. Mother Rita was an organized woman. It was no surprise that she orchestrated her departure. The week before Mother’s Day, all the siblings were told to come to visit Mom on thatContinue reading “Mother’s Day Memories 5-15-2023 458 words”

One of my earliest memories of fragrances is of lilacs. My bedroom was over our garage. Outside my window was a old lilac bush. Towering 18 feet, it filled my bedroom in the early summer with the smell of lilacs.I opened my window to pick bouquets of the blooms. The color of the flowers wereContinue reading “The fragrance of Lilacs 5-8-2023 303 words”

After a long winter, many people celebrate the coming of warm weather. Some of us are delighted to be able to experience another season.The rites of springtime celebrations go back to Celtic and Norse cultures. Longer days and warmer temperatures lift spirits. In Northern Europe, the day includes cake, , drinks and of course, traditionalContinue reading “May Day Celebrations May 1, 2023 307 words”

There is a rite of spring that can be dangerous. After Easter break, new high school drivers beg their parents to borrow the family car to propel the 2000 pound weapon legally down the road. The drivers may be more interested in being seen by their friends rather that watching for bikers and walkers sharingContinue reading “Bikers and New Drivers, April 24, 2023, 442 words”

Spring can be a time of quick changes. Saturday evening, in shorts and short sleeves, rode our tandem to evening Mass. Today my back yard is covered with a light blanket of white. A lone squirrel scampers onto the deck to stare at me. I ignore him as I drink my second cup of coffee.IContinue reading “What a difference a day makes April 17th, 2023 180 words”

As a child, the season of Lent dragged on and on. The seven long weeks bridging the winter to spring season. Coming from a strict Catholic mother, we were also expected to not eat between meals, and to not have meat on Wednesdays or Fridays. Instead of using our allowances to buy candy and goContinue reading “Lenten birthdays, April 10, 2023, 482 words”

When I was a coed at Eastern Michigan University, a group of my dorm mates selected as a service project, to visit prisoners at the Ypsilanti State Prison. It is classified as a maximum security facility. My dorm was an all girls dorm. Most of the young woman were eighteen to twenty. We had aContinue reading “Jack in a Box, March 27, 2023 762 words”

I can’t write about family without mentioning our four legged members of the household.I recall two pets growing up. A large long haired tabby cat named Fluffy. I have a photo of her perched on the side of the bathtub watching as I bathed. Unlike most felines, Fluffy loved to play in water. She wouldContinue reading “Pound Dogs, March 20, 2023 455 words”