“Oh, I got your letter,” he said. “I liked it. Thanks.” I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that and was trying to remember what I had written (as it’s been a several weeks) when he continued. “I really liked it, because it reminded me of…” Reminded him of what? “…it reminded me of […]
Tag Archives: ben
Not A Bad Day
Tue, 28 Jun 2011, 08:51 PM (-06:00)
Late morning: the Lesser Goldfinches have finally come, perched and pecking at the dried cone flower seed heads. Early afternoon: A Wren fluffs in the bird bath outside the study window, flying drops of water glistening in the sunlight. Late afternoon: A Bluejay just made off with one of our cherry tomatoes—time to go pick […]
We’re Going to DC
Wed, 4 May 2011, 12:15 AM (-06:00)
1. We’re Going to D.C. “Ok Ben,” she said. “We’ll be leaving for D.C. on Saturday.” Trudy and I and Ben had been chatting on the phone for a while: one of the rare times when we get caught up with what he’s doing up there in northern Ohio. “You’re going to D.C., too?” he […]
Mr. Know-It-All
Tue, 12 Apr 2011, 08:20 PM (-06:00)
Phone home, I texted him. (I wonder if he got the reference.) Ok soon, he responded. Hours later he did. We talked about his classes. We talked about his friends. We talked about the weather and his plans for next semester and for the summer. It always makes us smile ear-to-ear to hear him talk […]
Alcohol and Culture
Fri, 31 Dec 2010, 11:55 PM (-06:00)
“Dad?” he called from the dining room. “Yes…?” I answered from the study. “Is it ok if I stay at college for sixteen years?” I didn’t say a thing. “… There are so many good classes.” I laughed, remembering how I used to get all dreamy and itchy as I leafed thru the course catalog […]
A Conversion (Or Learning to Like the Cold)
Mon, 13 Dec 2010, 01:35 PM (-06:00)
We sent him off with a great winter coat when he left for the north last year—a coat and warm gloves and a scarf and hat. Everything he needed to weather the cold. This morning, my weather widget took forever to report the conditions in Cleveland—a metaphor perhaps for the beating that the midwest is […]
Spring Semester Registration
Fri, 12 Nov 2010, 08:43 PM (-06:00)
Multivariable Calculus. Advanced Spanish Grammar. Political Sociology. Political Economy of Advanced Capitalism. The Militarization of American Life. Not bad for a kid trying to figure out where his life is taking him.
Morning of Their Last Day Here
Sat, 30 Oct 2010, 09:23 AM (-06:00)
1. Breakfast “Dad?” Ben said from the doorway. It was early morning. He and Scout were already dressed. Trudy was too. I was still under the covers luxuriating in the warmth of our first cold night. “Yes?” “Will you make us eggs?” I sat up and tossed the covers off. “Sure,” I said and pulled […]
Cheese for His Birthday
Fri, 1 Oct 2010, 10:15 AM (-06:00)
Cheese. We sent him cheese for his twentieth birthday. Cheese made in Texas. The fair and industrious Trudy handled all the details and packed it in an insulated box, cooled down and shipped by a FedEx friend who knows how to do things like this. He’s far away at school. And he likes cheese. And … you […]
Summer’s End: Flying Back to School
Mon, 23 Aug 2010, 07:54 AM (-06:00)
He had an early flight. We left the house before the sun came up, and the three of us (Trudy, his mom and I) drove Ben to the airport to go back to school. It was wonderful to have him back in town for the summer, of course: nice to eat eggs around the table […]