Within a period of about two weeks, the house down the street sold, moving trucks came and went, and suddenly there were new neighbors on The Lane. It all happened so quickly, we barely had time to bid farewell to the couple who left us. They were very good neighbors, but mostly kept to themselves. [...]
It’s been three weeks since school started and I’m completely burned out. It feels as though we’ve gone from 0 to 60 mph as fast as you can say Algebra I. And make no mistake. We are talking Algebra I in my crib. And Western Civilization. And Honors Language Arts. Oh, how I miss the [...]
Today is Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year. Ten days from now we will observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. We are told to spend the weeks leading up to these high holy days in preparation, taking inventory of our lives, asking for forgiveness, and seeking ways to be better. Every year I [...]
School starts today and the brothers will inevitably arrive back home this afternoon with their 2012 school supply list, eager to hit Staples and fill a shopping cart or two. In the spirit of starting the year off with some good old fashioned snark, I have taken the opportunity to edit the anticipated supply list, [...]
With nine days left before my boys head back to school, our afternoons have become suddenly peaceful. The electric guitar lays silent, the television screen is dark, and no one is trying to kill anyone on Call of Duty. The brothers have retreated to their respective serene corners of the house – Chase on the [...]
Musthav A. Swingset, nee Pinetree, of Wallingford, Pennsylvania died on August 15, 2012 after a brave and prolonged battle with wood rot and neglect. He was 12 years old. Born in 2000 and adopted by the Mendell family that same year, Mr. Swingset never quite lived up to the promise inherently implied by the sales [...]
This past week, Mom and I took leave. In what has become an annual retreat, we jetted off to the Bahamas for a few days in search of serious nothingness. And we achieved just that. Halleluiah. Our travel plans took shape in the usual way. At some point in June, both of us got that [...]
This past week my oldest friend Lisa shared with me the following story: Both of her daughters are enjoying sleep away camp this summer. They are gone for several weeks and during the mid-point visiting day, Lisa, in her enthusiasm to see her children (and display the impressive fitness prowess she has achieved during the [...]
Last Monday, I was privileged to be called for jury duty in my local municipality. The summons was straightforward, explaining the mandatory nature of service and offering instructions on how to complete the forms and find the courthouse. But after completing my one day /one trial obligation, I think an even great service can [...]
I have just hung up the phone from my fourth conference call of the day and am getting hungry for lunch, when Chase emerges from his third floor bedroom and stands in the doorway to my office with pillow marks still on his face and that glassy blank stare suggesting that his REM cycle ended [...]
