athesaurus.com

…breathe deeply and often…

  • Christmas Eve Morning

    “Hell, Stan, there are too many for a list?” Stan shook his head no, and whistled low. Greg oozed frustration. “Were you ever sure about anything?” “ I swear we’re here.” Stan jumped up and dunked on Greg. Steve dunked on both of them, then got serious.  “We’ll never get a list like this right,”

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  • A Cat at the Museum

    “I know what “Azure” means, why wouldn’t I know what happiness and tranquility mean? Just because you’re my Papa doesn’t mean you’re smart or anything.”

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  • The Race

    This isn’t an excerpt, it’s a warning. A reader told me this was depressing.

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  • “You better have the coffee ready before you get me out of bed.”

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  • My Mincemeat Pie

    The finest pie I’ve ever made screams Christmas.

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  • Bombed Out

    He loved nothing more than a roomful of people drinking and smoking and giving him his undivided devotion and attention.

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  • Snow Before Dawn

    At least there would be no school.

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  • Never start a novel with the weather.

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  • WeeGee Slumber Party

    “Don’t tell your mom I let you see a Ouija Board. They’re not toys,”

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  • Listen

    Listen on purposeLift your spirit with good words, and make your soul smile.

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  • Morning Curtain

    Snow laden limbs are replaced by blossoms falling to earth and flowers push up from underneath.  Early snowdrops and daffodils show off their color peek from recent fresh green.  Wet brown earth gives way to the promise of gardens, of deep green shadows and tomatoes Something more than squirrels digging through dried leaves. The smell Read more

  • The Road Trip

    The road trip was a mindset. It required no preparation or preparation of all things, especially the house before the departure. After I took care of the laundry, the cats, the mess, and the packing, I was ready to roll down the road.  Time was not of the essence on a road trip. Stops were Read more

  • Let’s Call it Art

    “That painting on the wall is askew and is about to fall down on the fragile candy dish on top of the buffet. Between the shards of glass that escape and the bits of sweets that scatter, it will never be safe to go barefoot in the house again. Move the damned painting,” He said. Read more

  • Hall Pass

    The state took over our school and taught me how to teach the way they wanted me to. They didn’t demand I command a hundred seat auditorium, they were more concerned that I orchestrate three classes in one classroom. They noticed I had leadership skills. They didn’t say        whether they were good Read more

  • Fashion Emergency

    I had on boots, leggings, a sweater dress, and vintage jewelry. The brooch was a stone blue, grey, and weird white that went perfectly with the black of the dress. It had matching clip earrings that were so perfectly cut they glistened in the dark. They were even comfortable to wear. I had lost twenty Read more

  • Parable of the Long Spoons

    Parable of the long spoons Hell is where the spoons are so long you can’t feed yourself the luscious food on the table. Heaven is where the spoons are the same size as the ones in Hell, but everyone is willing to feed you. I hope there’s a special place in Heaven for those who Read more

  • Christmas Eve Morning

    “Hell, Stan, there are too many for a list?” Stan shook his head no, and whistled low. Greg oozed frustration. “Were you ever sure about anything?” “ I swear we’re here.” Stan jumped up and dunked on Greg. Steve dunked on both of them, then got serious.  “We’ll never get a list like this right,”

    Read more

  • A Cat at the Museum

    “I know what “Azure” means, why wouldn’t I know what happiness and tranquility mean? Just because you’re my Papa doesn’t mean you’re smart or anything.”

    Read more

  • The Race

    This isn’t an excerpt, it’s a warning. A reader told me this was depressing.

    Read more

  • “You better have the coffee ready before you get me out of bed.”

    Read more

  • My Mincemeat Pie

    The finest pie I’ve ever made screams Christmas.

    Read more

  • Bombed Out

    He loved nothing more than a roomful of people drinking and smoking and giving him his undivided devotion and attention.

    Read more

  • Snow Before Dawn

    At least there would be no school.

    Read more

  • Never start a novel with the weather.

    Read more

  • WeeGee Slumber Party

    “Don’t tell your mom I let you see a Ouija Board. They’re not toys,”

    Read more

  • Listen

    Listen on purposeLift your spirit with good words, and make your soul smile.

    Read more

  • Kinship

    The artists couldn’t have been more different. One used a palette knife to sculpt landscapes of heaven. He caught the flickering glint of stars and swirling clouds of gas and light with oily pigments. He imprisoned the light and wonder of Orion, caught his bow in mid-aim. His kin captured the magnificence of the heavens…

  • Jung Smung

    Jung says, “No matter what the world thinks about religious experience, the one who has it possesses a great treasure, a thing that has for him become a source of life, meaning and beauty, and that has given a new splendor to the world.” I’ve experienced many denominations of religious faith in my life. The…

  • Ceraunophilia (n) loving thunder and lightning and finding them intensely beautiful

    “The lightning webbed and arced across the black sky. Thunder of a thousand sonic booms shook the whole house. It did it again and again and again. “I got it on my camera, look. It’s phenomenal. I bet it goes viral. “What do you think?” asked Sadie. “Look, here it comes again. James Weldon Johnson’s…

  • Mommy’s Angel

    I begged for a guitar for Christmas. I got down on my knees in supplication to Mom one Saturday morn when the snow was knee deep outside, I remember. That’s all she heard that year. I did every chore she gave me with glee, on the outside at least, three quarters my best instead of…

  • Good King Wenceslas

    “I love the way the full moon glistens on the snow when it’s deep and crisp and even like this, not a mark on it,” the good king said. It was St. Stephen’s Day, Boxing Day, the patron saint of stonemasons and bricklayers, the first martyr, stoned to death for blasphemy. He was also the…