“Why did the banana go to the doctor?” Mason asks. “I don’t know. Why?” “Because he wasn’t peeling well.” “Oof. Good one.” I think back to my favorite joke as a kid. I’m positive it will crack him up. “What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple?” I say. “What?” “Finding half a worm.” “I don’t get it.” I… Read more →
It’s late May, and it’s been months since my six-year-old neighbor, Mason, has visited the garden, so when his mom stops by to drop off some misdelivered mail, I’m eager to find out where he’s been. “Well, he’s asked about coming over, but…” Jessica hesitates, “…we didn’t want him to bother you. We know he can be a handful.” “Oh… Read more →
Something a little different this time. A short story. Lily and Destin: A Love Story “Mom, you don’t even know him!” she said, her eyes filling with tears. Lily and her mother, Sophie, were arguing again about her boyfriend, Destin. “You’re a monarch. He’s a spider. It’s just not right!” she said, more loudly than she intended. Sophie’s voice softened…. Read more →
It’s autumn. Let’s wear socks. Let’s eat chili and pasta and chicken pot pie. We’ll make pumpkin bread and apple crisp and put cinnamon in everything. Let’s walk. We’ll go down by the river, where the crunchy cottonwood leaves make a satisfying sound. We’ll walk through the woods, where the maples and the sassafras flaunt leaves of gold and orange,… Read more →
I’m planting in the front garden when Mason’s voice rings out from two doors down: “Free lemonade for a quarter!” Clearly, this is a deal too good to pass up. I walk down the block. Mason and his mom are sitting on their lawn under a dogwood tree. “Hi, Amy!” his mother says. “The garden’s looking great!” “Thanks,” I say…. Read more →
One of the neat things about having a blog is that sometimes you get free stuff. However, I was all ready to say no, thank you when someone from Bond Manufacturing emailed me to offer me a free BLACK+DECKER Cordless Pruner to review on my blog. I assumed by “cordless pruner” she meant cordless hedge trimmers. Since I have no… Read more →
A Wishing Tree! That’s so Portland. This humble horsechestnut on the corner of NE 7th and Morris in Portland is the bearer of hundreds of wishes tacked to its trunk by passersby. I visited the Wishing Tree last week after reading about it online. Our local KGW did a story on it earlier this year, as did The Huffington Post. They… Read more →
They’re calling for gloom and doom tomorrow—ice and snow and more cold, blustery winds. A shock to humans and plants alike, who’ve just enjoyed the warmest August, September, and October in recorded history in Portland. As of yesterday, there were still roses, dahlias, asters, and marigolds blooming, among others. And fall color is still jamming, as you can see, though… Read more →
My Akismet spam blocker keeps you, dear readers, from having to see the spam messages that attack my comments section every day. Most spam comments are meaningless and not worthy of anyone’s attention, but some, I have found, are surprisingly funny. The spam bots’ use of shameless flattery combined with a–shall we say–unique grasp of the English language make it hard not to chuckle. Here… Read more →
