Strangest of Places

  • Carnival Mirrors

    Carnival mirrors distort a reflection. Thin people look fat and fat people look thin. Foreheads protrude and chins disappear. Conversely, squinty eyes look larger and indistinct cheekbones become defined. Most everyone has a carnival mirror. In a world where image reigns supreme, for many people, the way they see themselves in that mirror is a…

  • PSA

    Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein produced by normal, as well as malignant, cells of the prostate gland. PSA tests are used to observe the advancement of cancer over time. When you’re diagnosed with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer, have undergone radical surgery, radiation, and then almost 2 years of a hormone therapy drug,…

  • Merry Bailey

    In 2016, I lost my beloved border collie mix, Merry Bailey. She rescued me from my darkest place. Rodger and I had separated and I knew if I didn’t get a dog, I would have depended on Diana more than a mom of a confused and frightened 10-year-old should. I found her description on Petfinder…

  • A Day in the Life of a Middle-aged Woman

    I’m in a liminal space. A transitional period. A trapeze artist in mid-swing. I was employed from age 16 to almost 60. That’s forty-four years with a paycheck, stability, and about 20% of the pie that comprised me. I quit my job in February. It was unsustainable. The culture had fallen from a nurturing and…