The Download

Going backward is not my favorite thing. I’m not a fan of walking backward, backing into a parking space (parallel parking is another mystery), or redoing a project I’ve already…

Halloween has a way of putting bones on our minds. Skeletons are appearing on porches, in front yards — and even in trees. My recent YouTube discovery had a surprising…

Temperatures have started their fall descent, and frost is predicted for this evening. The scenery in my neighborhood is changing, too. Leaves are accumulating on lawns and sidewalks, and pumpkins…

I still remember the puzzles in Highlights for Children, the magazine that made reading a little more fun. Hidden Pictures challenged me to find pencils, teacups and other objects camouflaged…

My neighborhood is changing. The trees are trading green leaves for red, orange and gold. Leaves scatter across sidewalks, and mums have replaced summer’s impatiens, petunias and geraniums. Inflatable pumpkins,…

I admit there are things I didn’t know, things I now know — and plenty of things I suspect I will never know. There was a time when cache, cookies…

Names matter. We give them to people, places, products, foods—and puppies. Sometimes we choose a name because we love its meaning. Sometimes we wonder where a name came from. And…

Most of us have memories tied to the sound of a bell. School bells. Church bells. Doorbells. Each one signals a moment we recognize. But bells can also mark something…

Labor Day has always felt like a little pause button. Summer is winding down, vacations are behind us, and it’s back-to-school time. For me, Labor Day also brings back memories.…

I have a confession: I’m terrible at picking favorites. Apparently, my son inherited that trait. Ask him what he wants for dinner, which shirt he likes or what movie he…