Five years ago this month covid shut down our world. There wasn’t much to do, so I wrote a lot of covid stories, some sad and some, I like to think, amusing. Read more.
Barbara’s Riffs on Life
Widowed: He’s Gone. And Now So Is His Barbecue
I’m widowed. He’s gone, and now so is his barbecue. They are just things, I tell myself. They aren’t Jon. And decluttering is a good thing. The kids like it when I get rid of stuff. Read more.
My Mother’s Writing Desk Is Not My Writing Desk. Here’s Why
Being in the same room with my mother’s writing desk is like being in the same room with my mother, which is why her desk isn’t in my writing room. Read more.
Widowed: Did My Husband Know I Loved Him?
We were not gushy, Jon and I, and that was fine with me. Widowed now, I’ve been wondering, was I too stingy with my affections? Did my husband know I loved him? Read more.
The Human Need to Name Things — While Standing in a Patch of Weeds
We can’t help ourselves. We like to name things. We have a human need to name things, including the colors of the weeds in a weed patch. Read more.
Kids Leave Home. They Just Do
Kids leave home. That’s how it often is in our oversized, mobile nation. We pack up and move across the country with impunity, leaving our families and origins behind. Read more.