My Brother’s Keeper

I am at war with the Las Vegas City Council. I am so upset with the passage of the second recent law designed to fine and incarcerate the homeless that I find myself unable to write about it right now. I need to calm down to prevent my blog from turning into a manifesto. In … Continue reading My Brother’s Keeper →

Easy Peasy Lemonade Squeezy

We are in the middle of what I hope is the last heat wave of 2019. As I write this it is 109 degrees out. We have had yet another record-breaking summer. In August, we had twenty-four days with temperatures exceeding 105 degrees, that's more than in any previously recorded year. We are several days … Continue reading Easy Peasy Lemonade Squeezy →

The Egg and I

You can add this to the many statements that I never imagined I would make. I am a chicken person. What I mean, of course, is that I am a big fan of chickens. The animal, more than the meat they provide, although I appreciate that, too. I enjoy chickens. I love watching them peck … Continue reading The Egg and I →

A Family Affair

It's been a long winter, here in Vegas. It's been snowing, which is very unusual. We had a snow day, which never happens. Temperatures have been low and the wind has been near constant. No one here knows what to do with the snow and that goes for our homeless community as well. We've been … Continue reading A Family Affair →

From Rags to Breeches

Just over eight years ago, I was twenty-seven years old and pregnant with my first child. My due date had come and gone and I was driven entirely by hormones and a strong desire to jumpstart labor. I was sitting in a pew at Mass, between my husband and my sisters. I should have been … Continue reading From Rags to Breeches →

In Defense of Street Feeding

In a blighted part of the city, that most people avoid, is the Corridor of Hope. Although the name wasn't meant to be satirical, when you see the worn tents and cardboard lean-tos littering the sidewalks and empty lots, it is impossible not to see irony in the name. There, in the Corridor of Hope, … Continue reading In Defense of Street Feeding →

It Can’t All Be Hookers and Sunshine.

We all love a good Vegas-adventure tale; strippers with a heart of gold, underdogs betting it all on red, buddies having a wild time and learning a valuable lesson. It is the stuff that fantasies, hit movies and bachelor parties are made of. I would love to tell you that Las Vegas is all inspiring … Continue reading It Can’t All Be Hookers and Sunshine. →

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

B-A-N-A-N-A-S I grew up one of eight kids. Being the youngest, I was the last to go to school and when I started, I had half-day kindergarten in the afternoons. Every morning, after my siblings dispersed, the house got quiet and I had my Mom to myself for a few brief hours. Some of my … Continue reading B-A-N-A-N-A-S →

It’s A Dry Heat.

If you ever want to test the patience of someone from the southwest United States, there is an easy, universally despised way. Just slip the phrase, “it’s a dry heat,” into conversation. Ovens are a dry heat and saunas are a humid heat. Which would you prefer to spend time in? According to the 2017 … Continue reading It’s A Dry Heat. →

A Child Just Like Mine

While I was setting up my table Monday night, a boy, smiling so hard that I could count how many baby teeth he was missing, approached me. He could hardly contain himself. "Are you Corey's Mom?" "I am," I told him. "Do you go to his school?" He nodded gleefully. "I'm in his class!" He … Continue reading A Child Just Like Mine →