Author Archive: Nancy
Justice Ruth
We grieve for folkswe never metwhen we knowthey lived their livesin kindness,when their souls were so brightthey lit the pathfor your own soulto find its way. Thank you, Justice Ruth.
The Junior Prom
My high school sweetheart died last week. Sweetheart is the perfect way to describe Greg. He was sweet and all heart. The suddenness of his passing (a heart attack) left everyone who knew him with a hole in their lives that they were unprepared to accept. Less than a year ago, my graduating class attended …
Worrying About My Heroes
I need hero protection. To get me through this pandemic and these divisive insane times, I have been painting a series of portraits of people I admire. I call them my Hero Portraits. My first few portraits were relatively easy picks. They are people for whom my belief is so strong, my confidence in their …
Expertise
As I was trying on outfits the other day – for God knows what reason, I have nowhere on earth to go – a sweet memory surfaced – also from God knows where. I attended a parochial grammar school, where I wore the typical Catholic school uniform. Navy jumper, white blouse, little navy bowtie. Oh …
Other People’s Squabbles
A little while back, I violated three of my own friendship rules. I was friends (and still am, I hope) with Edie, a woman who was often at odds with her adult daughter, Fran. We’d meet quite often for lunch, or shopping, or Yoga, or just coffee, and she’d give me her ‘upset smile.’ (We …
Too Late, Too Early
It’s July. We haven’t put the lounge chairs on the patio yet. We never opened the hot tub. The peonies and roses came and went without even one gracing our kitchen table. 2020 is half gone, and I know the second half will disappear as well. It’s as if the whole country – the whole …
Proud Mary
Like everyone in the world, I love music. But I am not a connoisseur. I don’t collect music. I don’t have a fancy music-playing thing – are people still using ipods and mp3s? I don’t even know. The last time I bought music it was The Best of James Taylor. I listen to the radio …
Leaving It Behind
I’m in the editing process for my new novel. My narrator, like myself (what a coincidence), digresses quite a bit as she tells her story. One story reminds her of another story, which reminds her of another story. But all these little side trips advance the plot or reveal her character or someone else’s. But …
Advice From Henry
Do not worry about your hair during a pandemic. You look just FINE.
Stuck
I have finished the first draft of my new novel. Yea for me! It is off at the editor’s and now I am stuck. Stuck between that story and whatever come next. Because I can’t quite shake that story. I’m still in there. The story is set in 1968 and the main character is a …