LifeSoFarLaRue

When you get to be my age (older than I wish I were) you get used to certain occurrences that seem to come with the territory like walking into a room and then asking yourself "Why did I come in here?"    Or standing in front of the wide open refrigerator and pondering "What am I looking for?" I can handle these momentary breaks with reality which may also include misplacing items and forgetting names of people you know or movies you've seen.  Thankfully the latter of these are usually temporary. The other day, a brief moment smacked me in the face (and I confess, made me laugh). One of my guilty pleasures is having breakfast (the most important meal of the day) at a local eatery.  I frequent "LuluB's" 4 or 5 times a week not only for the food, but for the conversation with Kim, a wai tress that works there and whom I consider a true friend.  I always arrive a half-hour or so before they are officially open so we can chat and exchange though...

When I was a child, like all other children, I loved the holidays...…..Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.  But, (don't ask me why?) the month of February always had a special place in my heart.  Why?  When I was a child it had three holidays.....Lincoln's Birthday, Valentine's Day and Washington's Birthday.  For some unknown, some people in Washington D. C. decided that Lincoln and Washington could be lumped together and called President's Day.  And thus, today's children are missing out and only have two days instead of three. In my grade school, we celebrated them all.  Back then, It was customary to decorate the class room for the holidays  We were given black "construction" paper to make silhouettes of the two presidents which were adhered to the windows in the classroom.   Red construction paper was supplied for Valentine's we make our mothers and "girlfriends" (as well as assorted hearts to enhance those same windows).  Whi...

First of all, let me say, I am an early riser, therefore I usually go to bed early.  Two nights ago, I awoke (around 9:30) to find a man with a flashlight standing over me.  In my sleepy daze I said something like "What are you doin?"   Before full panic set in, the man quickly responded "I am with the Sheriff's department.  You're neighbors were concerned about you." Evidently I had forgotten to shut my garage door and when my neighbor, Bud came into the apartment and called my name to inform me of my error, he got no response.  (I wear my earbuds at night and listen to the radio. Most likely I was sound asleep and simply didn't hear him)  He promptly called the police and they responded. I quickly threw on some clothes and followed the officer downstairs where Maureen (Bud's wife) threw her arms around me and said "Oh, LaRue, we were so worried about you." I apologized profusely, (She had Bud on her cell phone) then I thanked...

I have always been intrigued by puzzles of all sorts starting out with jigsaws in my youth and eventually graduating to Crosswords, Jumbles, Sudokus, Cyphers, Word Searches and a myriad of other types of posers.   And I do my fair share...….the New York Times Sunday Crossword is by far my favorite and I am proud to say that I can now solve it in ink!  (After many years with the no.2 and an eraser) On the contest side, I've entered here and there...……..New York magazine ran a weekly challenge back in the day and had numerous types of things to do.   For instance (and a classic)….Make up a name using other names (the old "if so-and-so married so-and-so" game). If Anna Maria Alberghetti married producer David Merrick, divorced him and married comedian Jackie Cannon, divorced him and married composer Norman Paris, her name would be Anna Merrick Cannon Paris.   You get the picture? Well, after a few honorable mentions in the New York contest, I finally won one. ...

 I got slapped in the face again yesterday.   My friend, Joel Conrad, who I have known for Fifty-odd years passed away suddenly.  His partner called me and told me that they were out to dinner and he "just keeled over."  The ambulance was called but it was too late. It made me sad, angry and reflective.  I was lucky enough to have been in touch with Joel and his husband Joe (Yes, they made it legal, in Massachusetts) on many occasions over the last few years including visits to Florida to see Fabian and myself, (visits that we enjoyed thoroughly) and birthday cards and Christmas gift were exchanged and a phone call at least once a month.  They enriched our lives. But now, everything will change.  There will be a void.  Thankfully, there will also be memories. Below is a photo of a production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" at the Meadowbrook Dinner Theater with Joel in the back and myself in the near front just trying t...

It was only late afternoon but winter had already deposited darkness upon the small town.   And as the snow began to fall, adding to the blanket previously fallen, the moon came out.  It was a full Kansas moon that glinted and gleamed against the frosty flakes making the landscape eerily, ghostly bright.  There would be no need for a flashlight on a night such as this. Bundled up, as only a mother can, the young boy went down the steps from his front door, out through the gated picket fence and headed toward the church which was only half a block away.  There was an air of anticipation about him as he broke into a run toward his goal. Some other children were already in the appointed meeting place, the church annex and together they waited for the rest of their friends to arrive.  And, in due time, they did, rounding their number out to an even ten (or was it twelve?) With no adults to supervise them, they set out on their journey.  This was that coun...