Southwest Desert Heat Wave

I saw on the news that it was one hundred and eighteen degrees out where my brother lived. I called him up to see how he was doing. “Well, it’s definitely hot,” he said,” and chuckled, I’m sure imagining my horror. He knew I wasn’t a fan of hot weather, even less so when it

The Hobby Store Clerk

The customer stepped up to the counter and Janet Jacobson greeted him cheerfully, “Good morning. How are you doing this fine day?” He handed over his purchase and said excitedly, “Hi. Great. My name’s Paul. I can’t believe you guys had one of these. I’ve been looking for one for over a year.” Janet smiled

Agate Hunting

I found my first agate when I was ten on a gravel road in northern Minnesota. A walnut sized stone with rusty red hues enfolding swirls of white crystals, it was like holding a piece of magic. Its genesis was eons ago, formed from volcanic fires in the depths of Lake Superior, and its journey

Flapjack Johnny and Sourdough Slim

The biggest Lutheran Church in Minneapolis was packed for the funeral. Men were dressed in their nicest suits and women were decked out in their finest dresses and jewelry, everyone looking rich and well off, everyone coming together to show respect for the likeable man who was my Uncle Don. He’d been a successful grain

Soap Bubbles

My daughter hands me the soapy wand and says, “Here Mom. Your turn.” I take it from her and dip it in the solution before whipping it through the air. Allie watches mesmerized as the bubbles form and begin to float away. Then she’s all motion as she bolts from my side, running after them,

Nothing But Time

It never occurred to me how important the simple things in life were until I met Sookie Jensen. It was springtime, early Saturday morning, and I had just stepped into the local hardware store for a forty pound bag of water softener salt when a sheet of notebook paper on the bulletin board caught my

Bicycle Built For Two

A tandem bike. It was the last thing Liz and I bought together before she left me for her personal trainer, bleach blond, muscle bound, Donnie. Damn. We rode together once, maybe twice, and then, poof, just like that, a quick wave goodbye and off she peddled into the sunset, gone for good. We’d been

Flying

Dad thought it’d be a good idea to bring us along. “You boys will like it. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey have three girls about the same age as you.” Jeff and I looked at each other, silently agreeing between us that it would be fun, but, of course, we couldn’t let our parents know that.

Flowers

Flowers. Your daughter loves them, Laura said, setting our one-year old down in the grass next to the patio. Arial immediately grabbed a dandelion and jammed it in her mouth happily gumming it to death. Laughing, my wife, gently pulled the slimy thing out, saying she also liked petunias, as our little girl grabbed for