Kitchen Sponges

Kitchen Sponges

Kitchen sponges. Those who use them love them. Those of us who are trained in microbiology don’t. Why not? The simple answer is: because they remain wet. Bacteria love to grow in damp places. During COVID, I had my students do an experiment in their homes,...
The Grandfather Clock

The Grandfather Clock

Standing in my family room is a grandfather clock—not just any grandfather clock. This is the one that has known me for my entire adult life. Purchased in England The clock was purchased in England in 1976 when my family immigrated there. I was 18. For the next three...
Fame

Fame

Not all of us want to be famous, but let’s be honest. We all want to be remembered for something, even if we’ll never be an “influencer.” After a recent gathering of writers, where one could hear book descriptions from every side, I thought about the people who made...
Ignorance Isn’t Always Bliss

Ignorance Isn’t Always Bliss

While cleaning out Mom’s home, we came across my father’s baby book. Those who read his story will know, but for those who haven’t, Dad was born in the Belgian Congo in 1933. His father worked as an accountant on the Capetown to Cairo railway. His mother was the...
We Had to Do it, So We Did!

We Had to Do it, So We Did!

Eventually, almost everyone has to do it. My husband never had to because he emigrated from England, leaving his family behind. He’s the exception. My siblings and I just finished doing it, and my husband helped. We spent over two weeks working constantly—and are so...