Dave’s Diaries: Life, writing and more

  • Things I no longer need

    Things I no longer need

    November 7, 2024 I’m on an eviction binge. Not like the rotten Michael Shannon character in 99 Homes (clip below), who puts people out on the street so he can flip their houses. This movie is streaming on internal territory. Instead of hard-pressed families, the “victims” are parts of myself that I’ve been truckin’ around… Read more

  • Not crying, just thinking too hard

    Not crying, just thinking too hard

    October 17, 2024 Autumn sets in gradually around here. It’s cool enough for long sleeves, the sun goes down at dinnertime instead of after “Jeopardy,” and our sugar maple is blushing orange and yellow. Halloween doodads are sprouting all over the neighborhood too, but that’s a human choice, not from nature. Age is creeping into… Read more

  • Another year, another shot. Big deal.

    Another year, another shot. Big deal.

    September 3, 2024 Yep, again. Don’t ask me how many times I’ve rolled up my sleeve for the drugstore pharmacist, because without the little vaccination record card, I’ve lost track. I just hope this new Covid vaccine attracts more takers than the last round, especially seniors like me. Only about a third of us bothered… Read more

  • The ghosts of August

    The ghosts of August

    August 26, 2024 When I was a kid, my family often spent a week or two of summer vacation visiting my grandmother in Springfield, Illinois. She lived in the middle house in the photo below, next to her sister Adelia’s place, the one with white columns and trim. Next door to Aunt Del on the… Read more

  • Living a well-rounded life

    Living a well-rounded life

    August 1, 2024 It’s been a season of strange weather in Atlanta. Thankfully, we’ve been spared any life-threatening climate convulsions, but the normal phases of summer have got themselves all jumbled up. The heat that usually holds off until August descended in June. Next came a July of sudden, soaking downpours, the kind my mother… Read more

  • My new short story: “Maddy’s Mountain”

    My new short story: “Maddy’s Mountain”

    July 29, 2024 A young woman who’s had a hard life walks up a mountain late at night and is never seen again. Everyone thinks they know what happened, and lots of mean gossip is going around, but her sister Michele won’t give up the search. Fighting through her anguish, Michele unlocks the secret of… Read more