Based on a true story

Getting married abroad, in a most glorious city (Prague, Czech Republic)

updownflight22 Comments
Prague scene
Beautiful Prague, Czech Republic

My husband and I met each other when working for the same company in the U.S. It was an instant attraction. It wasn’t long before I officially moved in with him. After about two years together, our love grew very strong. The day then arrived when we decided to get married, which was soon followed by a request for my hand in marriage from my parents. What a sweet old-fashioned gentleman! The whole period was quite romantic. I’d share more details of that romance, but hubby told me that some details he’d like to keep just between the two of us. I must respect that. Instead, in this post I will concentrate on just the preparations and events surrounding a marriage abroad. From this point until after the wedding, hubby will be referred to as “fiancé”. Continue reading →

He’s the star of the show, and he likes it like that

updownflight7 Comments

happy starThere is a man named Moe who has a penchant to be the star of every show. He drives everywhere in his flashy white Porsche with the windows way down low. He stops at every popular hot spot in the town, just to let everyone know that HE is around. Continue reading →

Rejection of good family members – Why?

updownflight13 Comments

abuseWhat did my mother ever do to you? What did her children, including me, do to you? Throughout our lives you showed us so much hate. You were critical of something we did or didn’t do at least once every time we ever saw you. I just don’t understand why you treated us like that. Why? Continue reading →

Double vision – My experience with diplopia

updownflight12 Comments

diplopiaWhen I think of my past double vision I think about the song by that name by the band Foreigner. Singing it to myself eased the eerie discomfort and scariness it brought. When it would come on seemingly out of the blue, I would lurch around, unable to walk straight, and frankly feel left in the lurch, when away from home, unable to safely drive, stuck where I was. I wondered how long it would last. Sometimes my friend drove me home, or my husband had to be called to pick me up, leaving my car parked where I left it before the strange symptom began. Other times I just sat in my car and waited for it to stop. Continue reading →

My very first love (Part 3 of 3)

updownflight16 Comments

Golden gate bridge

Continuation from My very first love (Part 2)

Following my first love, Mihai, across the country was an exciting prospect. I was just so happy that he loved me enough to want me to join him, and not leave me in New Jersey.  I was only about 22 years old at the time. I had never lived with a man before. I guess deep down I thought this was a first step to an eventual marriage. Continue reading →

Hazel was a spicy lady

updownflight14 Comments
mouth on fire
Now THAT is really spicy!

Our friend Hazel was a 6 feet tall Amazon, with a wit and intelligence just as high. Nothing matched her infectious teasing humor, and she always said what was on her mind.

Over 20 years ago, it was Hazel that first guessed that my hubby and I caught each other’s eyes.  Continue reading →

My very first love (Part 1 of 3)

updownflight44 Comments
Love in chinese
This is a first draft of a section of a possible memoir chapter

Falling in love has never been as easy as making scrambled eggs for me. Not to say I didn’t have my fair share of crushes over my earliest years, but somehow I knew the difference between the two. Continue reading →

The story of my voluntary childlessness

updownflight32 Comments

couple with bikes-001

Obviously from the title you know what this post will be about. Believe me when I say that I thought twice about writing it. Just like certain illnesses, a decision to remain childless, is often stigmatized. Many people assume that childless women have a physical inability to have children, and may therefore be pitied, or seem cold-hearted in some ways for not liking children. There are other reasons, too, that may be judged. I don’t think that because I choose childlessness for certain reasons, that other women similar to me should, too. I believe in freedom of choice, and hope that I won’t be judged harshly for mine. Continue reading →

I like bird baths, too

updownflight35 Comments
parrot bowl bath
Taking advantage of any chance to do my birdy water dance.

I don’t have flappers like penguins to swim through the sea. I may not float on deep lakes like a duck, swan, or goose. I don’t dive deep into the water like a puffin or coot, but one thing is sure, I really like bird baths very much, too. Continue reading →

The joy and advantages of being occasionally hidden

updownflight27 Comments

Hiding is so often regarded as a negative action, but throughout our lives many of us also see the joy and advantage in it. When I was a little child, small or rarely frequented spaces had great appeal. You could see me (or not) under the dining room table, looking up at its underside, fascinated by the architecture formed by the legs of the chairs on its sides. I might have also been found (or not) in my bedroom closet, a dark place near piles of shoes, with hanging clothes gently caressing my face and shoulders. Why do such hiding places appeal to many children? Well, I can’t speak for others, but for me it was a chance to own my own special space, and see things from very different perspectives. Continue reading →