Author Archives: Judith Pettersen

 Dear Pepe Le Pew, I had a conversation with my daughter this morning that helped put things in perspective. In her delicate way, Hilary pointed out that I seem to be having a few anger issues. Every time we talk, I give her an earful about whatever is ticking me off at the moment. I’mContinue reading “It’s Not Just You, Pepe, it’s Me”

I hardly ever use rubbing alcohol these days. The bottle I found in my bathroom cupboard this morning had expired back in 2007. How can alcohol go bad? Is it the rubbing part? My husband had inherited a bottle of Mezcal that his father bought in Mexico in the early seventies. When my niece and aContinue reading “What’s It All About, Pepe?”

 I never thought young adult fiction (or YA as it’s known in the biz) was a thing before the sixties. Back in the day, books were just books. It didn’t matter if the protagonist was just fifteen, like Jo from Little Women.  Now, bookstores and libraries have separate sections for teen fiction. It’s too bad,Continue reading “Wherefore Art Thou, Babe?”

 I’m doing okay as a widow. Occasionally, it feels like a prison sentence where I’m locked up in solitary. Other days, I’m released early for good behavior. What took a while to manage was my ability to stand alone, metaphorically. Even grumpy couples might not notice how they’ve leaned in over the years. It weakensContinue reading “Lean on Me”

 Like many folks, Covid 19 has left me feeling a bit Miserable. Not all the time, not every day. It comes at me in unexpected ways. Today I was heading inside Walmart when I passed my next door neighbor on her way out. We shouted greetings typical of people in -22C weather and wearing masks.Continue reading “I Dreamed A Dream in Walmart”

 A very strange thing happened at my house few mornings ago. It was the day of a friend’s birthday and when I woke up, I grabbed my phone to search for a photo to send her. It always takes me a moment or two to truly bring myself into the day. I often start outContinue reading “How To Make a Porno”

I’ve already written my blog post for Christmas in 2020. But I forgot to mention a few things. For example. If you live alone, or have a tolerant partner, you might consider spending part of your day at the Hop. Not the IHop, home of pancakes and carb lovers everywhere. The old fashioned Hop, whereContinue reading “Christmas at the Hop”

For my parents and grandparents, there’ve been some tough Christmases. Two world wars with food rationing meant mystery meat and no sugar for pies. All those boys leaving the country. Many not returning. There was much anxiety over the future. How would things turn out? Would we still be us, or would future generations beContinue reading “Christmas in the Bipolar Vortex”

I was thinking about Mr. Bean the other day while pouring myself a glass of water. I’d taken the carafe from the fridge and was filling up a glass when suddenly, it overflowed all over the kitchen floor. I also make a mess watering my house plants. And at those moments I always think, justContinue reading “Being Mr. Bean”

 My relationship with the subject of math has always been strained. Like every kid of my generation, I memorized the times table, learned long division and had no trouble with the basics. But once I got to high school, things changed. In the tenth grade I actually did okay due to an excellent teacher. ButContinue reading “Christmas Lights, A True Story”