I have been haunted by something these past few days; maybe weeks, or even months- so I decided to deal with it the best way I knew how; write it out. The result is this alternative . Thanks for playing along. My flashlight caught something in the enveloping darkness. When I got close to...
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In the early 1990′s, my husband, Tim, was the PGA Club Professional at a small, private club in Indianapolis. It wasn’t one of the ritzy clubs where you had to show your w-2 to be admitted but that also didn’t mean there weren’t some well-to-do members . They were varied in backgrounds but all...
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Back in January, we had a memoir prompt titled “It’s a Wrap” — encouraging everyone to write about an embarrassing moment or a “boner”. I had a blast reading and writing a response to that prompt and wanted to repeat something along the same lines this week. I know it may be rough for...
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Standing behind the register, smile duly painted on my mouth, greeting and making small talk with the customers — that’s my job. This couple is buying a pair of Merrells, a six pack of athletic socks and a dozen golf balls. I remember what it was like to be able to buy something I...
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Friday night my boyfriend, Chris, came home with good news.  The official letter was signed, sealed, and delivered; his job is finally permanent. No longer is he a probationary employee.  After a period of two years of unemployment, the letter confirming his status might as well have been made of gold. Because for a...
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This week’s memoir prompt is courtesy of Sunny from the blog Sunny Sings the Blues. I am going to paraphrase and add some ideas here and then post her own answer to this prompt in a separate post (this is a must read). (I’m cheating a bit since I’ve already seen her response… heehee…)...
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It’s the same feeling I used to get; staring down the main drag of town. The buildings are still standing at attention on either side of the street, their windows decked out invitingly to passersby in attempt to persuade you to patronize their establishment. The aromas from the eateries dancing on the wind, enticing...
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That pungent but addictive smell — each time I get a whiff, I am taken back to the same memory. I may not smell it for months on end but then, one blast is all it takes – diesel. After 5 days of riding busses, switching busses, layovers, running through terminals, living off vending...
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I arrived with a driving need to see him. Would he know I was there? It didn’t matter… I knew. The tubes and wires seemed endless — poking in and out of every orifice. Though his eyes were closed, he was restless — twisting and turning, trying to reach his lifelines but the restraints...
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In her book, “Old Friend from Far Away”, Natalie Goldberg tells us to say the phrase “I remember” and let our minds go — recording it with pen and paper or keystrokes — whichever you prefer. “Go, 10 minutes” is one of her catch phrases. She introduces one or two word prompts, tells you...
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It’s hard to write about yourself and your accomplishments. It feels like bragging — and it probably is — but it is just as much a part of our lives as the disappointments. So here goes… Writing. I adore it, I need it. It’s cleansing, helps me to understand or figure things out. I...
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Chapter 14 of Lou Willett Staneks book — Writing Your Life — is called “Accomplishments”. Yes, no matter how big or small, we all have them. Writing your life means including acheivements. She says: “Don’t fret if you have been elected to office since you were the treasurer of the eighth grade chess club,...
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This post is my answer to this week’s memoir prompt given to us by Extreme Writing Now’s Memoir Editor, Mandee Sears… Fly Like An Eagle. Yeah, that’s what the summer after I graduated high school was like. The whole album played out over three months, but that title track definitely defined every day of...
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Let’s prime the pump to the well of your memories with music. We’ve all had a song come on the radio that reminds us of a certain time or event in our lives. I can be shopping at TJ Maxx and hear Rod Stewarts “Tonight I’m Yours” song come over the Muzak and immediately...
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This is my answer to the prompt “It Happened When…”. A day I will always remember is December 10th, 1980. My family was just finishing our first year on the island of Guam in the Pacific ocean. My dad was stationed at the Naval Hospital but we lived on “Big Navy”, the largest of...
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I was nervous. It was time for us to leave for the annual New Years Eve Dinner at the club. Tim was his usual laidback self sitting on the bench at the end of our bed. He was chortling as I struggled with the nearly impossible task of fanagling my 6 month pregnant self...
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A crisp, sunny afternoon in March found my kids and I enjoying our yearly visit to the Celtic Faire. Food, music, fun and local characters always make it an event to remember. But this time, it got the better of me. My oldest daughter and Valkyrie-in-training had been introducing me to all her new...
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Whew, this is my response to this week’s memoir prompt, . This was tough, not to write, or because I had to go dark places, but because I have a life of  miscue segments and the choice was very diffcult… My life has been punctuated by embarrassing moments, and being an Ohio born and...
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I have been enjoying re-reading Lou Willett Stanek’s book “Writing Your Life – Putting your Past on Paper” to come up with weekly memoir prompts. This week I was reading Chapter 13 titled Shame, Embarrassment and Confusion. Ms. Stanek opens the chapter talking about how actors, ad agencies, editors and professors all get to...
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I went to Cocoa Beach this Summer. It was the first time I got to really sit and get lost in the movement of the ocean in years. My family splashed in the waves and built sand castles at the edge of the water and I sat there with my beer, daydreaming as the...
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