Author: Life Without Lesson Plans

I've been writing articles for a local magazine since January 2016. My monthly column is called "Snapshot," and I write about someone who lives in or has ties to our large subdivision.  I often write a feature on a local business, and this year I've also written about a local chef each month. From April… Continue reading Not Exactly “Dear Abby” →

For the past three+ years I have been writing for Life in Chenal, a monthly magazine with a circulation of over 6,000 copies, which is distributed to all of the homes in our subdivision and hundreds of local businesses. One of my columns, titled “Snapshot,” is always about a Chenal resident. A little over two… Continue reading Hidden No Longer! →

Seeing George W. Bush slip Michelle Obama what appeared to be a piece of candy at John McCain’s funeral recently reminded me of something that happened to me and some college mates in 1967.  That fall, over the Veterans’ Day weekend, my college theatre sponsored a bus trip to New York City.  I had managed… Continue reading Of Candy and Culture →

Sometimes we think that crazy only happens to us.  Ha!  My friend Denise woke up one February morning, and eventually wished she’d never gotten out of bed.  But she did get up, feeling only so-so.  The night before she’d spent time with her husband in their new hot tub, even though the snow was flying. … Continue reading Denise’s No-Good, Really Dreadful, Some-Kind-of-Awful Morning →

My favorite food in the whole world (well, in my world) is pumpkin pie.  I like lobster, steak, shrimp, a really good hamburger, German chocolate cake, and black raspberry pie, but if I could only have one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be pumpkin pie.  I can’t imagine ever… Continue reading Pie to Cry For →

     Wednesday, September 27, 2017. London/Amsterdam. Waiting. We got to London around 8:00 a.m. Our flight to Amsterdam was at 2:40 p.m. As long as I have a well-charged tablet with its little bluetooth keyboard for typing journal entries or playing solitaire while listening to a book on tape on my MP3 player, I'm… Continue reading September 27, Europe Journal →

September 26, 2017, Chicago O'Hare Runway. Uber driver, Uber Robert (recommended by friend Beth Mason) picked us up this morning at 5:00 a.m. Ugh! But we did have an uneventful trip to the Little Rock airport, where I was anxious to weigh my luggage. Last year for the Scotland/England trip my suitcase weighed an all-time… Continue reading September 26, 2017, Europe Journal →

Wednesday, September 6, 2017.  Richard had to have Mohs surgery on his left cheek this morning.  Not THAT cheek, the one on his face, where a squamous cell carcinoma had recently been identified.  We got up at 7:00 a.m., dressed, and left for the doctor’s office, where the procedure would take place at 8:00.  We… Continue reading Vite oo Veet? →

Our eldest son John recently posted a story from The American Theatre magazine on my Facebook timeline.  The story was about Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London firing Emma Rice, the artistic director, and hiring of her replacement.  It was welcome news. Occasionally I write a review for Trip Advisor.  My reviews are usually written because… Continue reading Happy to Report “All’s Well That Ends Well” →

Mother’s funeral was on Monday, October 27, 2014.  The following day Richard and I drove to Ft. Wayne, Ind. for a visit with Richard’s sister Joanne.  After the sadness of Mom’s death and the stress of her funeral, it was wonderful to sit and chat and laugh and write thank-you notes in Joanne’s lovely new… Continue reading WHEN A DAY STARTS OUT BADLY… →