All posts by Jocelyn the Plaid

  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subbing — Kids Behave Better when You Write Random Stuff Down as You Walk We got this! I say.I make circles with clipboardMany of them work. Glossaries aboundTranslating Don Quijote –El Polvo the dust.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Almost done subbing I think. I let that last period slip off the chain and I should have done… Read More

The year is 2015. Shasta and Mommy are returning from Condell Hospital in Libertyville where they dropped off various books for Gabby, who is a mass of plaster and bandages. Gabby is recovering from a life-changing accident, but she is recovering. Mommy is casually dressed in sweats, a soft, blue Walmart sweatshirt over navy pants… Read More

Conversation with Shasta in Tacoma in June of 2015: Cast of characters: Mommy: Otherwise known as Jocelyn, a retired teacher helping out her elderly parents. Shasta: A visiting alien from a planet of huge slugs, invisible to most people Grandma and Grandpa: The elderly parents Mommy is sitting on a lawn chair of sorts. The… Read More

From a bygone trip to Mineral… The Little Park Cafe Hot turkey sandwich in yellow-gray gravy Chunks of dry meat, thin potatoes Mashed or melted, oozing into Lumpy, white-bread hills as I diplomatically support dad’s Passion for large, salty servings Delivered at small-small prices, with Big spheres of strawberry-covered vanilla ice cream. Mystery-meat loaf, the… Read More

November blew in with a blast of frigid air, following a quick frozen attack on Halloween that dropped crimson, chestnut, amber and lemon-yellow leaves lifelessly to the ground. Only the heartiest trick-or-treaters made the rounds. I praised their stamina while offering them handfuls of candy. The small children all stayed inside their caves. Winter is… Read More

Sub! Bump, crash, giggle, whisper, talk, whisper, talk, talk, talk, bathroom, push, bump, pout, bathroom, bathroom, giggle, kick, scatter, color, tear, line-up, dawdle, noisy, run, shriek, stairs, art, fall words, anaranjado, leaves, hojas, Halloween, paleta, amarillo, handout-scarecrow-haystack-October, spelling, scissors, paper scraps, some work, anti-work, work? giggle, push, scraps, scrapes, words, two good efforts, independent read.… Read More

KINDRED SPIRIT Soft walk, low tones Fading, gray-blond quiet Sun-soaked truthstillness The orbit shifts in time half notes falling into emptying wine glasses. Later we drink green tea frappucinos or passion tea. Questions unasked. MAN AND CHILD Boys across the table I like the simplicity of boys. Old boys, young boys. Eating chicken and cornbread.… Read More

Fiona the Aging Acura is either failing or trying to kill me. Her coolant was quietly slithering out onto the pavement, leaving Ben the Mechanic to add fluid and scratch his head at the sneakiness of it all. Her seams seemed intact, but… nevertheless, the check engine light was on and that coolant had gone…… Read More

I hate rugs. I hate big rugs, little rugs, rugs that match Pepto-Bismol pink and rugs that don’t match Pepto-Bismol pink. I prefer short pile to the still mysteriously available shag — I mean why not just inhale from the vacuum cleaner bag if you like dust that much? — and I prefer new looking… Read More

Why not treat yourself to a practice problem or two? Forget crushing candy, playing poker, or laying down letters in fake scrabble. How about giving your brain a real challenge today?