No, I haven't experienced a personal loss, disaster, or break up. I'm broken hearted about the number of people who...
Betsy Ashton
Never Throw Anything Away
Our mothers told us to clean our room, put stuff we weren't using away, and throw/give away stuff we no longer use....
Evoking Memories
What evokes the most memories for you? Is it the sound of a bird, a person's voice? Is it the taste of a favorite...
Pizza Guys and Others
Years ago, I read an essay that appeared on NPR about being nice to the pizza guy. Given we are now in the season of...
An Open Letter To the President-Elect
I don't usually write political posts on this blog, because 1) I don't want to be castigated, 2) I don't want to...
Growing Up Polluted
With all the ballyhoo about climate change, rising oceans, and global warming, we seem to be losing track of how many...
Pulling Back
Lately, I've learned of several friends who are pulling back from things I love about them. Three are writers; two...
Why I’m Glad My Mother Didn’t Name Me Grace
My father, who exited my life about nine months after I made my appearance on the world stage, wanted to name me Grace...
Vampire Bites
I want to write about vampires. We are surrounded by them. They are everywhere, draining our energy, demanding our...
Book Hoarding
Hi, my name is Betsy. Hi, Betsy. I am a book hoarder. I have books dating to my childhood. They're right next to my...
Acorns and Other Nuts
My house is surrounded by oak trees. Really tall oak trees. When we built in 2000, we wanted to save as many as...
It’s Pumpkin Season
Fall brings with it cooler weather (eventually), less humidity (eventually) and a desire to stop eating summer food....