Dear Nicholas, Instead of my usual obsessive self-berating, I recently entertained myself on a Saturday afternoon by making a list of bad things others have said about me. To my face! Making such a list—what a truly weird thing to do! Those of us who beat up on ourselves (everybody?) can be very inventive in […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, Sunday night, a dear friend of more than 50 years, Ardis Hatch, died in her sleep. She was 87 and had been ill for a long time. Still, the loss felt sudden. Her son Brad Kimzey wrote a tribute to her that is a wonderful portrait and expresses my feelings better than I […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I had no idea I was storing up a couple of years of emotion. I thought I was reacting to Husband Bob’s illnesses and heart crises in a fairly calm and competent manner. Certainly I was doing the best I could. Then after a strange course of events I discovered the pent-up emotion, […] Read More

Air ambulance arriving as we are leaving just before dawn Dear Nicholas, My husband Bob has had three ER trips in the last three months. One lasted into the fourth day and resulted in a pacemaker. The most recent–and dramatic–gave me a bad scare. This one included an ambulance, lights flashing, at our door. The […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I learned this morning that my friend Dan has died. I’ve felt close to him since about 1985, but we have never lived in the same state. The distance has never seemed to matter. When a distant friend dies, it’s still the loss of a friend. The Difference But the fact is hard […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, Sunday night, still in my grubby gardening clothes from the afternoon, I was parked alone in front of the TV watching the glamour and who-are-you-wearing of the Oscars, when suddenly I experienced an eruption of joy. An explosion of delight! Such surprising joy! I’m one who likes the Oscars (I know there are […] Read More

Dear Nicholas,  Beloved husband Bob Dick just had a birthday and is now eighty-two and a day. Being seven years younger than he is keeps me thinking I’m pretty young. But the numbers are getting increasingly impressive for both of us. Some years ago, when I was maybe forty or fifty, we were invited to […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I’ve been pondering this and I have to say that I don’t know what should be done about immigration, about peace in the Middle East (other than a ceasefire and release of all hostages), about the increased cost of living, about several court cases and much much more. I do have emphatic opinions […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I know 75 may not seem old to someone who is, say, 91. Nonetheless, youth that I am, I do think this birthday today should be of resounding importance in my life. It’s three-quarters of a century, after all. But it doesn’t feel like a big deal. Is Turning 75 Any Different? I […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I’m wondering if having a ferocious cough this week is why I’m having trouble getting myself to do any of the things that need doing. Does coughing kill motivation and energy and focus? Or is my lethargy a case of post-holiday mental exhaustion? The last time I had a cough this aggravating it […] Read More