I have had lots of advice over the years regarding men and relationships. The latest was from an 84-year-old professor of developmental psychology who told me that I should head to the city and have someone help me with my… Read full post »

 Today, another little bit of my need for control was satisfied. The surveyor came and planted little pink flags on the corners of my yard. I feel safer now. 

They arrived at 8:30 this morning. I was up… Read full post »

I know that many people don’t like Atlas Shrugged, much less the woman who wrote it, but I have found this book to be a worthy read. I get one message from the book, and it is this: Work for/… Read full post »

The alarm went off with a shriek that morning, made louder by the knowledge that it was the weekend and it wasn’t supposed to go off that day. A long, muscular arm snaked out of the covers and slammed the off button… Read full post »

I will never be hired to review music because I don’t know the proper terms to convey the musical aura of a band. I can tell you when I really like something, though, and thus, this blog.

In the course of my duties at work, I came… Read full post »

Why do people write? Why do we put words upon paper, or computer screen, and send them forth into the world? What do we have to say that is so important?

A lot of the time, we can say, “Not… Read full post »

Another Saturday morning, the clock on the computer says 10:32 a.m. It is another absolutely gor-ge-ous day outside. I found this out when I had to go outside to replace my window screen, which I had removed to send a dead… Read full post »

I shouldn’t be alone. 1987 keeps popping up in my life. Friday at work, the radio station was asking what we were doing at Christmas in 1987. Today, a character on a show was born on my birthday in 1987. It may… Read full post »

We are at the end of another interesting week in the life of Phyllis. I have a pot on the stove cooking chicken and potatoes that are to be the basis for a soup, I have fruit that needs to be… Read full post »

Head colds are awesome only for the drugs. I haven’t been this high in who knows how long and it’s ALL LEGAL!!!

A side effect of highness is, of course, a strange sense of humor. As I was looking at the front page today, I noticed that the… Read full post »

Twenty- five years ago, September 10, 1987, I was having a fight with my boyfriend about attending a party. He didn’t want me to go because it was going to be a huge party and he would have more fun without me there. I was… Read full post »

I have been reading some of my old blogs.

My old blogs are atrocious. There is some good subject matter involved but the writing is juvenile and self-involved. I didn’t realize I was that poor of a writer. Please don’t go read them; they’re disappearing as we speak. I… Read full post »

I had a very dramatic hour at work today. A close call; averted by quick action and on the ball thinking.

The day started much as any other day, I checked my email and took down the outgoing mail. We were also getting carpet replaced after a… Read full post »

Last Sunday, I went to the Mihsihkinaahkwa Pow Wow 2012 in Columbia City, IN, where I met up with Margaret Feike.

Sunday was a beautiful day. It started out dank and foggy, at least on my end, but cleared as the sun came up.… Read full post »

Helen Gurley Brown (HGB) passed away today. We have lost a wonderful person. I was a subscriber to Cosmopolitan Magazine in my 20s and early 30s and read every inch of it, cover to cover. I canceled my subscription when she left.… Read full post »

Once upon a time, a little web site called OS got a new editor.

"Yay!" everyone shouted. "We lubs our new Ed. I. Tor! Let's call him Sugar Cube!"

Read full post »

I wanted to let you know that the celery plant is still alive. I need to Google and find out how to really take care of it, but it's still hanging in. It's been inside, but I've left it out for now. Maybe it just needs fresh air?

I almost spontaneously hugged someone today!!!

Isn't that wonderful! It turned into an awkward moment for me, because this poor guy (who is married but a good friend) had no idea I was going to hug him, but I'm still excited by it because

I am not a… Read full post »

I just have to say, it is absolutely gorgeous in my backyard today. The sun is shining, birds and bugs are chirping, a nice breeze is blowing, neighbors down the block are renovating their house, dogs are barking, and Yahoo says it is 81°F. I believe them. We had a pretty… Read full post »

A sofa

A cider

A cat

A spider?

A TV

A 'puter

A jacket

A scooter

No spider 

No scooter

Need rhymes

Not dooters

Up late

No schedule

Stuck now

Oh, pew. Read full post »

286 days until the summer semester in 2013.

I was pretty excited earlier, but now I have to start acting on my commitment. This is where things get scary.

I'll start with what could go wrong.

Short version: Everything.

Detailed version:  I could end up 286 days from… Read full post »

I wole up to a panic attack this morning, wondering what in the world I'm doing to myself now. School seemed like the only thing I should be doing. Why in the world am I taking time off?!

So, I posted on Facebook. Decided I needed a Tarot.

So I think… Read full post »

 A day on the homestead, and a day that was all for me. Not a bad deal, really. I mowed some of the grass and weeds that have survived the drought and pulled up a couple dozen mulberry seedlings. My neighbor has a theory that all they need to sprout are… Read full post »

A tree on campus has succumbed to the drought. A beautiful, sprawling beech that has been in front of Stanley Coulter Hall for decades. I came upon it last week and saw that a side of it had shed its leaves, but didn't think much about it because it is generally… Read full post »