My new car is a spaceship. The dash has more buttons and dials than Doc’s DeLorean did in Back to the Future. It runs on premium gas, though, and not recycled garbage. My brand-new Honda Civic Sport Touring might be the last car I ever buy. “What are you going to name your new car?” Andrew … Continue reading Goodbye Old Friend
Tag: Creative Non Fiction
A Pivot Toward Acceptance
Photo by Terrye Turpin In 1980, after my sophomore year in college at Texas Woman’s University, I waited for the letter that would lead to a pivot point in my life. Some months before, I had applied through the Baptist Student Union to be a summer missionary. I signed up, not out of deep religious conviction … Continue reading A Pivot Toward Acceptance
When We Are Small
Photo by Terrye Turpin Despite the crying during our last visit, we took our grandson, Will, back to the Heard Museum to see the robotic dinosaur display. When you are shorter than three feet tall anything larger than a cat is intimidating, especially if it has sharp teeth and looks like it might eat you. “He’s … Continue reading When We Are Small
You Can Blame My Mother
Distrustful Cat wonders who is at the door — Photo by Terrye Turpin I’ve legally changed my name one time. When I married my first husband, I took his last name, and it has stuck through a divorce and a second marriage. Turpin is unusual enough, but my first name is the one that strikes fear in the … Continue reading You Can Blame My Mother
What We Deserve
Photo by Terrye Turpin I didn’t miss having a dryer until I bought my washing machine. For the two years after my divorce I made do with the community laundry room at the apartment complex where I lived. It seemed a little self-indulgent to complain about the lack of a washer and dryer when there were … Continue reading What We Deserve
You Can Lead a Pill Bug to Water…
But You Can’t Make Them Do Much Else. Photo by Terrye Turpin I’d been thinking about adopting a cat. I wanted a soft, purring companion, one that wouldn’t demand I hand over the remote as they snuggled up next to me on the couch. My vision didn’t include dumping out the litter box. Despite numerous calculations, … Continue reading You Can Lead a Pill Bug to Water…
Cold Feet Warm Socks
A trail suitable for walking — Photo by Terrye TurpinUntil I met Andrew, the man who would eventually become my husband, I was blissfully unaware that there were socks designed for specific activities. I purchased my socks in bulk and in solid colors that eliminated the need to make sure I had on a matching pair. When I … Continue reading Cold Feet Warm Socks
The God of Poop
The Dublin Bottling Works — Home of the original Dr. Pepper and definitely not a clear liquid. (Photo by Terrye Turpin)At my last physical my doctor mentioned it had been five years since I had a colonoscopy. “That long, huh? Gee doc, the whole experience was so pleasant it seems like only yesterday.” Every time I light a … Continue reading The God of Poop
The Wheels on the Bike Go ‘Round and ‘Round
Photo by Terrye TurpinI flipped through the glossy pages of a fashion magazine and there, alongside an article on how to dress for a summer party, I spotted a glossy ad featuring a slim model posed gracefully alongside her Schwinn. I thought about the pants in my closet that no longer fit, and turned to my … Continue reading The Wheels on the Bike Go ‘Round and ‘Round
The Summer of Lemons
Photo by Terrye Turpin I moved into my first apartment in 1979. The place came with shag carpet striped in an acid trip rainbow of purple, green, and brown. By the time my roommate Ann and I lived there the rug had collected a gummy overlay of tobacco and pot smoke, beer, and other substances we … Continue reading The Summer of Lemons
Let's Get Out of Here 