Month: January 2017

We’ve all been there. We have decided to do a clean-out. We are knee deep in drawers, closets, and cabinets, and we are feeling weak. Suddenly, something catches our eye. It’s a piece of a vacuum, an old can of paint, an umbrella stand. Suddenly we are overwhelmed by anxiety. Do I keep it or… Continue reading How a Potato Masher Becomes a Nemesis

I remember the day my father produced the brand new red Kirby vacuum. In true Dad fashion, when he would decide to purchase a new rather than used appliance, it had to be among the best, even though he must have known that in our house, it would be only a matter of weeks or maybe months until… Continue reading Dirt Sucking or Life-Sucking?

Consider this statistic: “Self storage – a business devoted to providing people a place to house their extra stuff – has become a 17 billion dollar annual industry in the United States, larger than the motion picture business.” (Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind) Hmm…do you get the feeling that it’s not just those people on… Continue reading Odysseus Couldn’t Have Resisted a $5.00 Shirt Either

My father is a hoarder. Shh! He doesn’t know, but he makes Fred Sanford look like a neat freak. Everyone but my dad knows he is a hoarder, but he prefers "collector," or better yet, "antiques dealer." You might think that this means his house is full from floor to ceiling with boxes, papers, knick-knacks, and… Continue reading Hold the Mustard

I recently found a picture of myself from when I was about six years old. I was standing with my brother on a bulldozer in my uncle’s front yard. It had been there as long as I could remember, which, admittedly was not very long at the time, but as of this writing, 36 years… Continue reading How I Became Addicted to Pants