Re-sharing this story on Kay’s 62nd birthday… It is 6:45 AM and the sun is slowly rising over the hospital’s still silent campus. Entering the conference room for morning report, I wonder as I always do, what type of day is in store. But the moment my eyes fall upon my fellow Psych Tech and friend,Continue reading “The Day the Music Died”
Author Archives: Kathy Simmons
The Gymnastics Game
In the summer of 1976, at the ripe old age of fourteen, my best friend Janet and I signed up for an eight week Gymnastics class offered on Tuesday nights at the Buckley Country Day School. The Buckley school boasted a fine and renown reputation offering rigorous training in all things gymnastics; the beauty andContinue reading “The Gymnastics Game”
The Summer Wind
He answered after the third ring. It was not his voice I remember, but the strains of Frank Sinatra crooning in the background. “The summer wind came blowin’ inFrom across the seaIt lingered there to touch your hairAnd walk with me” And when he did at last speak, his voice was direct, suspicious, no-nonsense. “Yes,Continue reading “The Summer Wind”
Three Little Things
There are three memories of childhood that stay with me almost sixty years later. Small things bestowed by my mother. All took place in the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights where I was born and lived, my first six years. Though there were countless other places my mother took me and my three sisters throughoutContinue reading “Three Little Things”
The Blind Date
“Just one question,” pleaded my best friend Sue as we went over last minute details. “Is it bad?” “Very,” came my swift reply. I gently placed the receiver down not allowing a single second for her response. I imagined Sue, phone still in hand, slowly digesting my words. Her mood once brimming with hope andContinue reading “The Blind Date”
In the Company of Women
I am one of four daughters, attended all girl, Catholic schools, have no idea how to change a tire and never experienced the bright stadium lights of a night-time football game. My father did put up a basketball hoop once in our driveway, though its use was short-lived when the basketball sailed through the glassContinue reading “In the Company of Women”
The Crockpot
I should have gone with the pot roast. A traditional, home spun, simple recipe. A crowd pleaser. But rather, I chose what I imagined a more elegant entrée for the upcoming dinner I would be preparing for my husband’s brother and new girlfriend. “Slow Simmer Halibut,” was the name the recipe book had dubbed it.Continue reading “The Crockpot”
Songs my Father Sang
One of my most treasured memories of my father was when he would sing to us. His serenades were not a constant, but occurred spontaneously, generally while he was driving. The destinations of those day trips I cannot recall. What I do remember is the feelings his singing evoked; safety, comfort, simple happiness, like steppingContinue reading “Songs my Father Sang”
Love Letter to Ireland – the Gift of My Mother
Happy St.Patrick’s Day☘️ Re-sharing. Dear Ireland, It is not the distinct and lonesome scent of burning turf from distant cottages. Nor your fields of brilliant green. It is not the timeless waterfalls that cascade in hidden woodland. Nor your winding rivers whose beauty inspire poets. It is not your majestic cliffs that stand like loyalContinue reading “Love Letter to Ireland – the Gift of My Mother”
Screwdriver Parties
Pulling into my driveway late one afternoon, my eyes fell upon a dark sedan sitting idly. Unable to recognize a face through the tinted windows and noting a New Jersey plate, a state from which I knew no one, a slight feeling of unease ensued. And then as if in slow motion, a window wentContinue reading “Screwdriver Parties”
Shangri-La 