Hank came swimming back to conciousness surrounded by images of going to the store to buy ketchup. He opened his eyes, then squinted them shut and groaned, "What a silly dream! I don't even need any ketchup!" He hooked his right heel on the side of the bed and pulled himself to a sitting position. He scooted to the edge of the bed and planted his feet on the floor. After a moment, he stood up, swaying only slightly. "Thank You, Jesus!" he sighed. He hadn't fallen down, and every day he could...

In the early '80s I found myself living in Menominee, Michigan. Menominee is a Native American name-- Objibwe, I think--which means rice. There was a lot of wild rice growing along the shores of Lake Superior in those parts. I never ate any, but I hear it's pretty good. I'm not a big eater of rice, unless it's chicken and yellow rice-- a recipe I picked up while living in the Florida Keys, flavored with saffron. I believe it's a Cuban specialty and where I was living at the time was about ni...

The morning was warm and sunny with the promise of spring, and the street bustled with the activity of happy people free of the shackles of winter. It was so warm, I considered leaving my jacket at home. But the main reason I even wear a jacket these days is because of the extra pockets in it. With my pants pockets and my shirt pocket, I have five main pockets, but I usually have those pockets full with one thing or another, so my jacket provides a wealth of places to put things, and I hate ...

Dandelion Wine In the early '80s I found myself living in Menominee, Michigan. Menominee is a Native American name--Objibwe, I think--which means rice. There was a lot of wild rice growing along the shores of Lake Superior in those parts. I never ate any, but I hear it's pretty good. I'm not a big eater of rice, unless it's chicken and yellow rice--a recipe I picked up while living in the Florida Keys, flavored with saffron. I believe it's a Cuban specialty and where I was living at the time ...