The bartender’s windows
“I don’t do interviews,” he says without a smile. His eyes sweeping both sides of the bar while he pours the beer. Really? The timbre of his voice catches me by surprise [...]
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Posted June 06, 2018in Joe's Neighborhood
Posted May 02, 2018in Joe's Neighborhood
A rowdy crowd
They drift north from Holy Trinity to The Donut Hut on Douglas Avenue “I’ll only give you my first name,” says the dapper old man with the swept-back white hair and [...]
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Posted April 04, 2018in Joe's Neighborhood
Making banana bread
When you’re in a crisis, people bring you food. Grease the bottom of your pans. Combine all the dry ingredients including the cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, baking powder, baking soda and [...]
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Posted February 28, 2018in Joe's Neighborhood
Graziano’s tablecloth
“Tablecloths represent the good experiences of sharing a meal with friends and family. It represents the idea that we are a community. Where does community get its start? It gets [...]
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Posted January 31, 2018in Joe's Neighborhood
It was so cold . . .
. . . the water in the toilet froze! Yup, there I am, minding my own business after the holidays, watching our adult kids go back to their own lives, putting away [...]
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Posted January 03, 2018in Joe's Neighborhood
The unexpected greeter
“On With Life, this is Carol, may I help you?” Maybe. Carol Murken’s desk is just in the entrance. An entrance with couches and large windows and sunlight and plants and airiness. [...]
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Posted December 06, 2017in Joe's Neighborhood
The old man, the combine, and baseball
“I’d offer you lunch, but I’ve already eaten it,” the old man says without a hint of a smile. Dry humor fits this landscape of dust and whirling blades and [...]
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Posted November 01, 2017in Joe's Neighborhood
The drag queen and us
“Everyone does drag. Each one of us in our everyday life puts on a costume and does a performance piece as whoever it is we are.” – Joe Fraioli. The [...]
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Posted October 04, 2017in Joe's Neighborhood
Firetrucks and firefighters
“You can sit behind the wheel if you want to. Go ahead.” The firefighter, younger than my youngest child, is grinning broadly as he encourages me. He has me pegged. [...]
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Posted September 06, 2017in Joe's Neighborhood
Shirley Ballard — a lie detector in reverse
Shirley Ballard died the other day. Most of you didn’t know her. Honestly, she would have been all right with that. Not because she didn’t want to know you, but [...]
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