We traveled 1700 miles to see the eclipse. The moon came between us and the sun, as promised. But so did a big fat cloud. A totality disappointment. Read more.
DON'T MISS!
I've written hundreds and hundreds of posts over the years. To help you find your way to the best of the best, I've tagged my favorites "Don't Miss!" Scroll down here to find them.
Another way to locate Riffs on Life that you might enjoy is to click above on your favorite category – "My Ever-Changing Family," perhaps, or "Funny Button." You can also use the search box located way up top to hunt for stories by topic. There's fun reading at "garden," "aging," "kids" and, of course, "Jon."
The Writing Room: Am I Stuck? Or Am I Just Taking a Little Housekeeping Break?
Sitting at a blank laptop screen awaiting writerly inspiration isn’t that much fun nowadays. I’d rather watch the guys laying asphalt in front of our house. Am I stuck? Read more.
With a Little Luck You’ll Live Long Enough to Breed Flies in Your Attic
Back in 1987 old age seemed a long ways away. It still does. Read more.
A Case of the Human Condition: When Your Six-Year-Old Wants to Talk Money
Our 6-year-old wanted an allowance. Jon and I debated: 50 cents a week? 75? “Let’s not talk in cents,” said Peter. “Let’s talk in dollars.” Read more.
The American Flag Is Flying in My Liberal, Elitist, San Francisco Bay Area Neighborhood Today. Here’s Why.
‘The right wingers don’t own the American flag flag,’ I said as my husband hung the Stars and Stripes from our garage. ‘It’s my flag too.’ Read more.
For One Night I Was Important Again. Thank You Armistead Maupin
At a party for “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin” I discovered I was important enough to score quality time with the likes of Jonathan Groff. Read more.
A Dream About Wrestling With — Uh, Who Was That Anyway?
I had a dream about wrestling the other night. Was it a message from my deep psyche — or the heights of heaven? Read more.