Tales For Tuesdays

I’m going to try and write down memories I have – for my little lovelies who always ask “Tell me a story of when you were a kid . . .”

I’m going to call them “Tales for Tuesdays” – and will try to write one a week . . . unless of course something else happens. In which case I won’t.

• Oklahoma!

  The spring of fifth grade we decided to ride our bikes to Oklahoma. I don't remember how this decision came about, but it was as real, and we were as determined, as could be! Andi had a map of the United States on her wall - one of those Disneyl...

• Uncle Terry

  This special edition of "Tales for Tuesday" is printed on Sunday, especially for Uncle Terry. Where do you even start when you're talking about Uncle Terry? In my family he was known as "Terry 1" because we had a plethora of Uncles by that name...

• Painting the Roses Red
  Or, dying the towels pink

  When I was nineteen I spent a semester living in Moscow. And one time we went on a grand trip through northern Russia, across the border to Helsinki, Finland where this story begins, and then across the Baltic to Stockholm, Sweden, where this st...

• Our Very First Valentines Day

  tonight i am typing on my laptop - something i try to avoid ever since calvin got a hold of it last spring and busted some keys - including the all important 'shift' - there will be no capitalization tonight. i may go back later to try and fix it. then...

• Wednesday was Andi's Birthday

  So I was going to write a "Tales for Tuesday" for her, and publish it on Wednesday. But Wednesday I forgot, I was participating in an online protest. So today she shall have her story.   When Andi and I were eleven or twelve years old we ...

• Estonian Honey

  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Our group with friends from Estonia, on the shores of the Baltic Sea."][/caption]   When I was nineteen I spent a semester living in Moscow, teaching English as a second language to ten...

• Two Travel Tales

  Today I will feature two Tales for Tuesday - because they're both short. One: The Time I was Smooshed By a Large Lady while Crash Landing in a Hot Air Balloon When I was in third, maybe fourth grade, I went on a trip to Palm Springs, Californi...

• The Roof

  The house in which I grew up, which was (and is) referred to as simply, "The Yellow House," had a very steep roof. This was a simple fact of my childhood, confirmed into impressive reality when my brother-in-law, Lance, who roofed houses as a professio...

• Flaming Soccer

  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="232" caption="EE & I in the freakin' ugly blanket on the Reservation."][/caption]   Today is Emily Elmer's Birthday (who is no longer Emily Elmer, but Emily Bowers instead). And so I thoug...

• The story of how we were attacked by
  two dobermans while
  innocently trespassing one day . . .

  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Hazen & Janet, 2004"][/caption]   This story is dedicated to Carrie, because she wanted me to write this one. When I was probably about thirteen or so, we decided to have a grand...

• Singing in the Dark
  AKA The Time They Called Search & Rescue

  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Anna, Emily Heisler, Me & Ejo at Thanksgiving Point, summer 2010"][/caption] When I was about fourteen my cousin, Anna and I decided to go on an evening ride. Our plan was to head up Corner...

• The Story of how I was almost hit by a Semi Truck while climbing a tree one fine afternoon

  The summer before Junior High was a weird one. Perhaps that's a bit vague. But  I can't think of any other way to describe it. I was about to start at a new school -- a big school that I had only dared to ride past on my bike in the early morning befo...

• Swirling

  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Photo (C) Phil Schermeister"][/caption] The sun slanted at the late autumn angle. The horses picked their way over the canal and out into the field, the hay cut low from the farmer's plow, the ...