People always say, “You’ll know when it is time.” Sometimes that is true. But sometimes it’s hard to tell. This has been one of those times. Having lived through the horrendous experience of our old deerhound Magic fracturing his leg due to a previously undiagnosed osteosarcoma, I want very badly to spare Queen that awful… Continue reading The Vigil
Category: Dad Stories
Gone With The Wind
I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind, Flung roses, roses riotously with the throng, Dancing, to put thy pale, lost lilies out of mind, But I was desolate and sick of an old passion, Yea, all the time, because the dance was long: I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.… Continue reading Gone With The Wind
You Know You’re at a Plastic Surgery Meeting When…
My friend Dawn and I recently attended an evening meeting of the Houston Society of Plastic Surgeons. Since we were invited guests, and not plastic surgeons, we didn’t stop on the way into the lovely formal dining room to pick up our name badges because the organizers had not made them for us. On the… Continue reading You Know You’re at a Plastic Surgery Meeting When…
Father’s Day
My father finds it hard to believe that he has a sixty one year old daughter. I find it hard to believe I have a nearly ninety year old father. I almost didn’t, which is story behind the scarcity of Crab Diaries blogs in the last two months. If cats have nine lives, Dad must… Continue reading Father’s Day
Love Letters
Another guest post tonight, from my friend Jackie Widen: I miss letters. Rather, I miss sending AND receiving letters in the mail, real letters on stationery. Our cultural communication has been reduced to tweets, posts, texts, emails and Facebook messages. Another part of growing older is remembering and cherishing this simpler method of communication. I guess… Continue reading Love Letters
You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down
It’s been awhile since I got my readers up to speed on the adventures of Dad. For those of you who are new to this blog, my father is a plastic surgeon who retired from full time practice about 15 years ago after a very successful academic career. He turned 89 years old in July… Continue reading You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down
Get Your Kicks on Route 66
No one would ever call me a drama queen–at least, not in the figurative sense. Not in the literal sense either, since never once in my sixty years have I ever tried out for the elementary school play, the high school musical, the college a capella groups or the fourth year medical student end of… Continue reading Get Your Kicks on Route 66
The Good Books
Where I come from, when most people refer to The Good Book, they are referring to the Bible. This is not true for my father, because to him, the Good Books are something else entirely. He describes a scene early in his career as a plastic surgeon, when he had taken his doting mother to… Continue reading The Good Books
Superstition, Karma and Faith
I have always been a mildly superstitious person. With a casual air, I will walk around rather than under an open ladder and I never wear opals since they are not my birthstone. I will happily pet a purring black cat then shiver when it runs across my path, and when I break a mirror… Continue reading Superstition, Karma and Faith
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Today, along with millions of other Americans, I made a last minute dash to the mall. Since Hanukah fell most improbably on Thanksgiving this year, and since I was too busy burning the turkey and side dishes to burn candles, we decided to celebrate Christmas instead. It will be a small celebration—my daughter is on… Continue reading All I Want For Christmas Is You