Not every father figure gets credit

The mid-morning text began, “Cuz, it’s bad.” Earlier this week, one uncle with whom I share no relationship was found dead in his bed in Missouri, surrounded by the few personal items he’d been able to accumulate over his long and unhappy life. He died old and alone with one cousin and the police breaking in after …

Just read this already: The last of the granny witches

Susannah sent this to me on Facebook because she must have known how much I would completely and totally love this. It’s worth it to be a hillbilly and suffer the slings and arrows when you get to come from a culture like the one described in the beautiful essay.

By the time you read this, I will be…well, I don’t know.

We picked today — the first day in weeks with rain forecast — to move our heavy stuff to storage, while we get ready to move into our furnished summer cottage in a town about a half-hour from here. We’re pretty sure we sold the house. We’re pretty sure the closing is Friday. We’re completely …