My grandson Jack turned 16 on April 4. He’s a tall, handsome kid with a winning smile and friendly personality. Like other Massachusetts 16-year-olds, he couldn’t wait for the big day because it meant one thing – he could get his learner’s permit. Then, after taking driver’s ed, he’d make his appointment, take the on-the-road […]

When I turned 18, my father taught me how to drive. In the early summer evenings after the supper dishes were done, we left the confines of our small neighborhood and headed to the “back country” area of our town, where rolling and winding roads held very little traffic. With the car windows down inviting […]

I stood at the window on Easter, watching the chickadees in last fall’s garden, when my great-grandmother suggested that I choose a book to take outside and read on the grass. As she filled my arms with a yellow print bedspread to sit on, I grabbed a pen. Gramma handed me a small, old book […]

My father always said, “Dreams go to die in Calais.” But I wanted a fresh start, and saw it as a place I could find my footing. In January, I started working at my step-grandmother’s diner. My father’s mother died when he was young, and Karen entered the picture far before I was born. Since […]

“I hate you, you’re not my mom!” I once shouted at my stepmother, looking her straight in the eyes for any hint of hatred back. The corners of her mouth curled inward, a sign she disapproved of my behavior, but she ignored me and continued cleaning the kitchen at a furious pace. When I was […]

I have a river dog, actually a Royal River dog, Banjo (rescued from Georgia). He is orange with a “pedigree” tail – fluffy like a collie’s, but it curls beyond 360 degrees 99 percent of the time. It’s a happy tail. We live by the river where the fresh water mingles with the salt water. […]

It was supposed to be the best weekend ever. I was 16, in love with my first boyfriend, and was to travel on a train from Baltimore to Virginia to see him. Peter had invited me to visit him at his boarding school in Virginia, for a weekend of football games and a dinner dance. […]