Author Archives: mabujones

“You’re in pretty good shape,” Dr. Ivers told Norman. “Any questions?” “No, not about me, but I think my wife’s hearing is getting worse.” “I see. Well, here’s something you can try to see if you’re right.”         Norman went … Continue reading →

On December 21st, 2006, a massive blizzard hit Ft. Collins, Colorado. It was a storm that pummeled the region and thrashed the trees across the city. Its winds blew down powerlines and the thick snowfall whited out neighborhoods, piling and … Continue reading →

When my daughter was about six months old, she was asleep in her bedroom, or so I thought, while a friend and I had a challenging discussion. We talked for about half an hour then he left. Ten minutes after, … Continue reading →

The other night the wind bellowed through the high pines, tearing through, and cracking branches, scattering them across the ground like sentence fragments. It howled in a song of pressure, tumult, and global currents. The white pines thrashed, and the … Continue reading →

We ask ourselves and each other this season what makes us feel grateful. We are told It is better to give than receive. So why then, do I hear so often a kind of grudging appreciation for or a disbelief … Continue reading →

When I was in high school, one of the best surprises was to come home and find my mother’s friend, Sophia, sitting on the couch, smoking cigarettes, and gossiping in a throaty voice, her high heels kicked off and her … Continue reading →

As writers, we look for meaning in just about everything. Our lives are woven with metaphors and significance, often in objects, random images, or bits of conversation. We wonder what’s underneath the surface, and, because we are writers, we ponder … Continue reading →

I have been refurbishing my kitchen cabinets. No small feat, given they were built by hand in the 1940s by someone who apparently enjoyed eyeballing the measurements. One of the issues was the top facings that attach to the ceiling. … Continue reading →

Narrow Conversations When I was in college, a journalism professor gave an assignment to keep a journal. Not a radical idea, but the further instructions were to choose one subject and keep to it throughout the semester. The professor gave … Continue reading →

I was raking the leaves yesterday, clearing away the decayed vestiges of last year’s foliage even as this year’s leaves flaunt their newly minted green. The idea of a tidy forest floor is actually an oxymoron. No one rakes in … Continue reading →