Family

  • What’s in a name?

    Growing up in my family was always a little confusing when it came to names. Both my parents had two names. Family called my father Tommy, but he was known to his friends and co-workers as Cliff. My mother’s family called her Betty, but at work she was always Joyce. Turns out she did not…

  • Grandma Martha

    Ah, Grandma Martha. She was the epitome of what a grandmother should be. She was very down to earth, loving and fun. She was the type of person who was always helping other people. She was non-judgemental, would keep your secrets to her grave. Perhaps part of that came from her being left to raise…

  • Grandmother Elizabeth

    My two grandmothers were on the opposite sides of the spectrum as far as grandmothers go. Elizabeth was my maternal grandmother. The impressions I carry of Grandmother Elizabeth are of a distant, self-absorbed haughty woman. Her head had a slight jiggle to it, much like Katherine Hepburn in her old age. I always felt like…

  • Fibromyaglia

    Everyone is affected differently by Fibromyalgia. When I was first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia I also had carpal tunnel in both hands. Surgery helped relieve the burning sensation in my hands, but my hands remain very weak and are often my main source of pain and discomfort. Other symptoms come and go. A pain here, a…

  • A Farewell

    A couple of friends talked me into going to a dance club one Saturday night. I was 15 years old, very shy, definitely did not know how to dance. Little did I know that night would have an everlasting effect and change the course of my life. The first guy to ask me to dance…