The Math of My Life and My Laundry

Mathematics is the language of the universe, the foundation on which all things are built. If I had appreciated that in school, I might have paid more attention and worked harder to understand it. Lately I have been realizing that mathematical principles can apply even to the most mundane activities of everyday life. Proportionality is [...]

On Boys

I have a houseful of boys–even the cat is a boy. When I shop for my clothes 3 people sit outside on a bench waiting for me. I have nothing I did not buy in a hurry. I would not swap my boys with anyone. For them I will endure a blue-denim world devoid of [...]

Ode to an Acura Integra

In some ways it felt like we were losing a member of the family. We even had a photo shoot. I handed my husband the cashier’s check, and he headed off to the dealer. It would be the last time I would ever see that sporty Acura backing out of the garage. I waved goodbye, [...]

Summer Holidays in Sheep Country

Long ago on the Isle of Lewis, it was traditional for the women to take the cattle to pasture on the moor during the summer months. They would live in rough huts or “sheilings” equipped with bare furnishings and would spend the summer away from home. Even although lifestyles changed and they did not keep [...]

Fried Egg Sandwiches

I had the delight of a mother-daughter day last week. I had a vacation day, only part of which was devoted to a session at Write by the Lake at UW-Madison. So, I took my daughter with me, planning to spend time at the Henry Vilas Zoo and then my company’s family picnic. As we [...]