Meta tags:
description=Becky Ross Michael: author & editor;

Headings (most frequently used words):

share, this, the, of, posts, for, platform, number, moving, into, future, fifty, ways, fantastic, find, at, bookstore, 14, two, sides, shirley, jackson, sweater, weather, literary, rescue, tale, encouragement, all, ages, love, our, earth, final, and, first, blooms, new, year, thankful, my, critique, group, power, story, navigation, recent, archives, categories, follow, blog, via, email, top, pages, becky, ross, michael, author, editor,

Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (520), and (254), new (96), was (83), opens (80), window (80), share (74), for (73), with (70), that (66), but (60), had (48), her (47), this (44), they (42), our (41), llama (40), from (37), about (35), you (35), she (35), not (33), have (31), all (29), what (28), were (27), email (26), just (25), out (25), little (25), books (24), their (24), mama (24), book (24), ribald (22), them (21), time (21), animals (21), more (20), print (20), tumblr (20), reddit (20), linkedin (20), facebook (20), pinterest (20), said (20), one (20), can (19), when (19), into (18), his (18), day (17), like (17), becky (17), then (17), papa (17), there (17), other (16), would (16), house (16), could (16), around (16), november (15), friend (15), earth (15), its (15), still (14), writing (14), group (14), april (14), are (14), who (14), didn (14), right (14), back (14), rescue (13), those (13), ross (13), michael (13), need (13), door (13), did (13), much (13), library (12), march (12), june (12), 2018 (12), 2019 (12), 2020 (12), 2021 (12), 2024 (12), link (12), only (12), here (12), after (12), away (12), several (12), later (12), loading (11), comments (11), now (11), find (11), your (11), 2022 (11), 2025 (11), love (11), family (11), help (11), made (11), white (11), farm (11), bird (11), dogs (11), 2016 (10), february (10), 2017 (10), literary (10), two (10), shirley (10), jackson (10), ways (10), some (10), where (10), also (10), know (10), work (10), moved (10), years (10), small (10), let (10), don (10), free (10), get (10), old (10), home (10), july (9), september (9), october (9), december (9), january (9), story (9), found (9), first (9), many (9), turned (9), long (9), way (9), next (9), rubble (9), roamy (9), blog (8), how (8), may (8), 2026 (8), weather (8), take (8), times (8), see (8), called (8), has (8), while (8), too (8), morning (8), few (8), again (8), critique (8), took (8), heard (8), maybe (8), being (8), nutria (8), soon (8), set (8), saw (8), down (8), corner (8), closed (8), often (8), blue (8), climate (7), august (7), 2023 (7), care (7), feel (7), michigan (7), friends (7), come (7), read (7), might (7), even (7), returned (7), forest (7), sky (7), dark (7), chickadee (7), sun (7), quickly (7), barn (7), thought (7), put (7), water (7), looked (7), rain (7), used (7), been (7), author (7), inside (7), school (7), dog (7), potty (7), robot (7), platform (6), follow (6), reading (6), 2015 (6), these (6), trying (6), thing (6), good (6), play (6), yet (6), part (6), felt (6), seemed (6), close (6), say (6), four (6), days (6), far (6), course (6), beyond (6), through (6), anything (6), will (6), think (6), three (6), muskrats (6), feral (6), grove (6), pen (6), another (6), coyote (6), high (6), must (6), plan (6), night (6), safe (6), knew (6), under (6), him (6), ideas (6), want (6), check (6), wasn (6), bed (6), floor (6), life (6), name (5), number (5), already (5), posts (5), moving (5), future (5), during (5), change (5), person (5), radio (5), vote (5), above (5), known (5), past (5), between (5), stay (5), asked (5), happy (5), each (5), stories (5), room (5), nearby (5), temperature (5), texas (5), yes (5), over (5), something (5), together (5), big (5), lie (5), left (5), daughter (5), hogs (5), leader (5), never (5), strong (5), toward (5), latch (5), give (5), side (5), mcfreeland (5), move (5), any (5), until (5), phone (5), summer (5), wrote (5), wouldn (5), make (5), hazel (5), cleaning (5), clean (5), bookstore (4), series (4), issues (4), health (4), recent (4), interview (4), hope (4), everything (4), well (4), done (4), interesting (4), happened (4), own (4), along (4), voted (4), ballots (4), myself (4), most (4), partner (4), things (4), children (4), short (4), before (4), return (4), coming (4), ago (4), year (4), certainly (4), rest (4), young (4), daily (4), off (4), really (4), try (4), behind (4), smile (4), stood (4), hog (4), brought (4), followed (4), open (4), critters (4), got (4), toes (4), lone (4), quite (4), challenge (4), enough (4), tried (4), wild (4), except (4), trash (4), finally (4), helpers (4), quiet (4), trees (4), rats (4), teeth (4), flew (4), muskrat (4), nothing (4), dee (4), should (4), kept (4), keep (4), food (4), shelter (4), believe (4), large (4), across (4), sounds (4), mother (4), since (4), apart (4), although (4), space (4), fun (4), look (4), such (4), started (4), jacket (4), fourth (4), woman (4), beach (4), realized (4), discovered (4), dust (4), hour (4), area (4), remi (4), reign (4), treats (4), problem (4), roomba (4), write (3), content (3), sign (3), wordpress (3), com (3), start (3), fantastic (3), rose (3), claudia (3), why (3), than (3), drew (3), teacher (3), kids (3), self (3), related (3), select (3), fifty (3), search (3), richard (3), world (3), won (3), mind (3), feelings (3), listening (3), reminded (3), election (3), which (3), actors (3), voice (3), country (3), talk (3), looking (3), pictured (3), listened (3), okay (3), reach (3), informed (3), busy (3), offer (3), storm (3), discuss (3), research (3), grown (3), members (3), fiction (3), both (3), scheduled (3), meeting (3), local (3), occasionally (3), however (3), picture (3), people (3), rather (3), horrible (3), continued (3), place (3), raccoons (3), full (3), joined (3), relieved (3), told (3), seen (3), headed (3), outside (3), friendly (3), longer (3), fence (3), hummed (3), carry (3), missed (3), bark (3), reached (3), alarm (3), moon (3), lay (3), grass (3), landed (3), head (3), below (3), nipped (3), legs (3), going (3), nowhere (3), worked (3), wrong (3), scene (3), eyes (3), edge (3), deep (3), agree (3), tomorrow (3), probably (3), protection (3), lived (3), always (3), others (3), closer (3), loved (3), began (3), sleep (3), parents (3), longfellow (3), harlow (3), late (3), business (3), fall (3), opened (3), wind (3), least (3), clouds (3), last (3), air (3), breeze (3), light (3), elements (3), ones (3), enjoyed (3), grade (3), went (3), pick (3), because (3), movie (3), lost (3), sit (3), waiting (3), pixabay (3), sitting (3), flashlight (3), confused (3), sense (3), breath (3), faint (3), min (3), nest (3), fur (3), grandbabies (3), backyard (3), haunting (3), hill (3), thanks (3), button (3), office (3), having (3), station (3), website (2), required (2), site (2), log (2), subscribed (2), subscribe (2), join (2), 288 (2), subscribers (2), franken (2), liked (2), mrs (2), saved (2), former (2), reflections (2), contact (2), pages (2), address (2), enter (2), writer (2), publishing (2), articles (2), personal (2), gardening (2), craft (2), authors (2), categories (2), month (2), archives (2), sweater (2), sides (2), winner (2), best (2), giving (2), listeners (2), reminds (2), shared (2), mentioned (2), alone (2), drawn (2), available (2), various (2), dresser (2), playwright (2), tony (2), shalhoub (2), actor (2), roles (2), edie (2), falco (2), takes (2), novel (2), law (2), answers (2), six (2), welcomed (2), discussion (2), early (2), remembered (2), surrounded (2), voting (2), cast (2), anxious (2), almost (2), power (2), sault (2), ste (2), marie (2), following (2), appear (2), experience (2), addition (2), options (2), sometimes (2), thank (2), belong (2), adults (2), suggested (2), amid (2), troubles (2), wide (2), lead (2), action (2), upon (2), enjoy (2), meet (2), frisco (2), thankful (2), happiness (2), park (2), warm (2), winds (2), recently (2), outdoor (2), blooms (2), very (2), moment (2), elump (2), save (2), none (2), ummm (2), term (2), doing (2), leavitt (2), worry (2), sri (2), lanka (2), isn (2), seeing (2), mistake (2), hearing (2), type (2), prove (2), held (2), items (2), caught (2), attention (2), news (2), stretched (2), farmhouse (2), votes (2), brave (2), fear (2), front (2), bullies (2), army (2), rebellion (2), awoke (2), screamed (2), neck (2), bringing (2), nose (2), guard (2), rabbit (2), goat (2), gate (2), success (2), chicken (2), burst (2), deer (2), antlers (2), lift (2), beaver (2), ground (2), ears (2), warned (2), raise (2), ugly (2), agreed (2), pens (2), ready (2), meanwhile (2), loyal (2), believed (2), luckily (2), focused (2), oak (2), silently (2), slipped (2), eye (2), worried (2), bleated (2), tell (2), orange (2), flap (2), promise (2), alert (2), tightly (2), against (2), hear (2), spotted (2), please (2), wondered (2), sounded (2), perched (2), critter (2), gone (2), watering (2), ask (2), evening (2), sadly (2), imagine (2), seem (2), realize (2), doesn (2), sniffed (2), whiskers (2), beautiful (2), himself (2), accepted (2), position (2), faced (2), kind (2), son (2), came (2), hired (2), living (2), easy (2), thinking (2), angry (2), anyone (2), noises (2), tonight (2), obeyed (2), lying (2), instead (2), birds (2), fixed (2), apartment (2), possible (2), named (2), illustrated (2), interested (2), date (2), someone (2), building (2), walks (2), added (2), lovely (2), vintage (2), gold (2), smell (2), leave (2), ruined (2), cold (2), hit (2), force (2), fleece (2), dry (2), forgotten (2), bag (2), norther (2), afternoon (2), bright (2), eventually (2), windows (2), dropped (2), checked (2), burned (2), thrown (2), upper (2), peninsula (2), sure (2), showing (2), somewhat (2), somehow (2), ended (2), rid (2), stuck (2), qualify (2), considered (2), students (2), elementary (2), familiar (2), raced (2), child (2), bit (2), grabbed (2), rescued (2), sand (2), mostly (2), feeling (2), finish (2), case (2), pop (2), suit (2), borrow (2), girl (2), charming (2), meant (2), married (2), piano (2), lake (2), dinner (2), stare (2), plants (2), heading (2), corners (2), fan (2), cool (2), suddenly (2), occasional (2), twinge (2), text (2), face (2), rip (2), hail (2), handful (2), treat (2), announced (2), hot (2), garage (2), needed (2), sat (2), pins (2), promising (2), editing (2), vacationing (2), hadn (2), feet (2), weeks (2), chasing (2), butterflies (2), chair (2), week (2), boxer (2), earlier (2), lottery (2), husband (2), misunderstood (2), spinning (2), among (2), savages (2), college (2), struggles (2), watched (2), creepy (2), non (2), making (2), hop (2), bus (2), gus (2), plant (2), bree (2), fran (2), coy (2), roy (2), answer (2), resist (2), cycle (2), pad (2), disk (2), round (2), training (2), rooms (2), countless (2), editor (2), comment, collapse, bar, manage, subscriptions, view, reader, report, privacy, account, trixie, belden, nancy, matters, wishy, washy, top, receive, notifications, via, inspiration, social, promotion, seasonal, list, recipes, reblogged, publication, memoir, meatless, mondays, marketing, immigration, guest, post, blogging, indoor, environment, education, cooking, collecting, category, previous, navigation, yourselves, pulitzer, prize, powers, arguments, single, consider, listen, especially, undecided, humanity, evokes, forgiveness, aren, connected, enlightening, begun, platforms, podcast, screenwriter, novelist, monk, marvelous, maisel, sopranos, nurse, jackie, guests, happens, fascism, root, united, states, teamed, adapted, imagines, authoritarian, 2039, elections, rule, collapsed, connections, audio, documentary, current, political, information, kqed, forum, npr, calls, description, woke, moments, hovering, implies, helplessness, written, letters, forward, democratic, leaning, voters, unbelieving, sick, photo, topics, unexpected, places, does, crave, successful, sites, informative, assist, efforts, tells, suggests, writers, jane, friedman, meetings, feedback, querying, lives, supportive, peers, gary, thornberry, note, appreciation, member, grateful, karen, hodges, donna, anderson, jan, angelley, cobb, carolyn, lis, linda, baten, johnson, groups, shapes, sizes, exception, nonfiction, novels, novellas, newsletters, traditionally, published, simple, pieces, praise, observations, questions, edits, marked, documents, process, reaching, positives, holiday, season, feels, wise, importance, meaningful, reflecting, met, larger, organization, works, monthly, presentations, longed, smaller, regularly, half, dozen, born, twice, study, pandemic, online, resume, blossoms, christmas, cactus, heritage, balcony, unseasonally, plummeting, howling, pictures, remaining, final, vast, critical, happening, congress, allow, stomp, pray, judges, democracy, discouraged, control, planet, matter, karoline, starts, stops, borders, debate, deny, guess, thinks, admitting, learn, grow, booted, counting, today, viewing, portion, press, conference, intent, receipts, saying, mismanagement, government, funds, fraud, innocuous, sounding, 000, bucks, continue, interests, american, chortled, unsuccessfully, avoid, huge, delve, understand, compassion, spread, welcoming, fields, forests, restore, order, gazing, mess, helped, sack, dumped, lot, proudly, spineless, nearly, trampled, escaping, ran, scattered, screaming, squealing, cowardly, wasted, river, slobbering, band, barricaded, themselves, rebels, chanted, formed, defeat, charged, snort, jumped, stop, halt, squeals, guards, freedom, exit, captive, holding, celebrating, release, noisy, exactly, tips, chin, lifted, surprise, stared, eyed, gatepost, presented, leap, lofty, kicking, flapping, flight, tall, awkwardly, jump, impressive, mark, nimble, digging, discarded, perked, shhh, prisoners, horrid, approach, passed, snoring, mouth, whispered, avoided, beast, menagerie, quietly, crept, whooo, murmured, careful, use, howl, slice, sprinkle, stars, gathered, animal, hushed, tones, sneak, fell, beaten, pretending, resting, chirruped, message, pair, dipped, spot, escape, keeping, scratched, forget, savagely, leg, pleaded, baring, evil, glide, frightening, skittered, overheard, sneered, running, minions, fastened, bumped, rails, hoping, ruckus, chick, agitated, captives, milled, quarters, groaned, mwa, captured, imprisoned, flapped, glided, loops, amiss, commotion, speed, direction, cracked, roof, tile, broaden, niggle, staying, choice, climbed, arrive, nuzzling, wake, sleepyhead, breakfast, drink, shade, traitors, throw, squealed, scaring, aides, dastardly, shocked, faces, feasted, plate, earthworms, berries, nuts, toothed, sneaky, wished, eat, afraid, tusks, ate, slobbered, snorted, spy, inform, skulked, scurried, ambled, wail, sunset, twitched, ear, thoughtfully, thumping, impatiently, tail, dam, lodges, standstill, doe, blinking, brown, bully, hurt, terrible, chirped, overhead, branch, hurting, exa, ctly, using, locked, ays, resources, naturally, wiggling, rude, grump, lies, capture, starving, areas, sighed, admit, commanded, tamper, speeches, promised, tons, fire, elect, stronger, working, sunsets, visitors, main, outbuildings, enormous, challenges, causing, hotter, summers, less, fires, scarce, ensured, everyone, reasonably, leadership, skills, snuffled, twittered, upset, farmer, died, afterward, caretaker, property, feed, remained, land, task, chittered, raccoon, chunks, pals, sneaking, ballot, baskets, obviously, declared, kicked, huffed, buck, swinging, totals, fair, dear, hard, willing, eager, topic, question, security, detail, peeked, field, taken, residence, gathering, attract, curled, underneath, lashed, eyelids, greeted, chickens, rabbits, goats, entering, beavers, mixed, loving, growl, begged, father, visiting, tale, encouragement, ages, contemporary, bookshelf, limited, either, donate, bookshop, rescues, altogether, internet, points, individuals, connection, nephew, architect, alfred, louis, harlows, copyright, 1882, inscribed, looks, employee, employer, thomas, enstone, same, handwriting, difficult, poems, village, blacksmith, sleuth, curious, whom, whew, explore, route, logical, pass, wooden, stand, great, finds, broken, repeated, repairs, failed, breaking, falling, street, collection, else, halfway, imminent, couldn, hurriedly, rifled, poetry, henry, wadsworth, red, trim, edged, ahh, shape, starting, deluge, glad, worn, offered, minimal, darker, solid, curtain, steely, gray, northwest, northers, bring, strode, brings, event, autumn, visited, clear, wore, thin, distance, length, browsing, shelves, titles, glanced, leaves, branches, unusually, degrees, conditions, constitute, saving, danger, drowned, otherwise, hunting, bookstores, favorite, summertime, hobby, pointing, dirt, lane, serve, store, daylight, boards, smelled, musty, clerk, inventory, appropriate, shop, sell, words, rang, bought, jack, finney, travel, duo, warped, humidity, immensely, purchases, job, dreaded, leaving, imagined, dumping, outdated, overly, stealing, permission, cards, tucked, teaching, county, entire, grabs, teachers, classrooms, copies, chapter, beverly, cleary, classroom, heartbeat, swedish, illustrator, maj, lindman, flicka, ricka, dicka, snipp, snapp, snurr, sets, triplets, favorites, characters, younger, examples, hello, protect, actual, blocks, ominous, retraced, steps, near, circled, narrow, strip, location, gripped, copy, rounded, raucous, bunch, introvert, word, disappointed, starring, sandra, troy, donahue, sometime, engrossed, tuned, beachgoers, reemerging, noticed, chill, appearance, goosebumps, bare, arms, deciding, aside, threw, folded, blanket, stuffing, graduated, donned, bathing, walked, teens, hung, affair, apt, wanted, fresh, enjoying, sloan, wilson, actually, intentionally, booknapping, doubt, anytime, lucky, showed, thoroughly, hated, months, decade, track, sorry, marilyn, shelf, filled, without, jackets, provide, clues, contents, teenage, captivated, music, background, faded, teenager, sleepover, paddling, rowboat, shallow, inland, practice, attempt, boat, road, walking, option, sparsely, appointed, eternity, teen, privilege, rescuing, adopt, uncertain, compost, pile, nurturing, mission, widely, appreciated, garland, second, shine, savior, turn, sits, lap, facing, surprisingly, silent, update, toothache, recedes, steady, throb, buzzes, timely, radar, assure, fish, oops, adds, canines, surroundings, sweaty, torture, chamber, run, barked, loudly, sending, odiferous, directly, snarling, pet, town, tornado, destructive, chances, responsibility, grabbing, solidly, passes, low, stool, heck, broke, loose, weatherwise, fact, barely, pelting, betta, swimming, lazily, fishbowl, sprinkled, pellets, blinds, spattered, lounged, shrill, blare, warning, sirens, command, accompanied, laptop, clock, break, blew, baby, within, encouraged, puppy, party, call, doggies, severe, expected, storms, extreme, reassured, remain, aware, urged, indoors, holdout, spending, extra, moseying, perimeter, yard, initial, patrol, relaxing, pool, fountain, frown, slight, visit, dentist, provided, resolution, appointment, noting, napping, toads, bunnies, unexpectedly, chirps, improbably, swallow, mud, structure, secured, porch, overhang, adult, swooped, feeding, popping, tiny, heads, beaks, show, thirsty, lawn, cottony, tufts, gentle, cooled, skin, lawnmower, newly, mown, wafted, zoomed, pack, fly, opening, senior, immediately, patch, miniature, pinschers, sprinted, fenced, suffocatingly, weak, wobbles, hand, smells, doggie, spit, sweat, assail, charges, turns, panting, barking, snarls, tries, confined, muffled, heart, beating, sore, lands, chilly, north, temps, toasty, lookout, annual, sale, excited, contains, lectures, unfinished, death, including, edited, stanley, edgar, hyman, ruth, franklin, exceptional, biography, sister, gave, knowing, interest, page, complex, eccentric, talented, delved, malice, cruelty, terror, skillfully, humorous, everyday, haunted, titled, incorporated, taught, middle, language, arts, wonderful, example, irony, foreshadowing, haven, shown, learned, raising, demons, charles, professor, raised, spent, depicted, stylized, art, typical, 50s, contribute, significantly, income, games, beneath, surface, amusing, tales, goals, caring, offers, true, emotional, support, dealt, anxiety, exclusion, delightfully, chaos, contemporaries, betty, macdonald, jean, kerr, erma, bombeck, famous, paper, standard, typewriter, sampled, collections, psychological, horror, suspense, finest, fit, media, watching, black, version, weekend, couch

Text of the page (random words):
i caught myself talking to this spinning sphere which i now called roamy it was like having an additional critter in the house imagine my dismay late one morning when i realized roamy hadn t completed the cleaning cycle and was nowhere to be found could the robot have made it upstairs or did it get out somehow when the dogs and i were going into the backyard feeling silly i called its name and of course heard no reply i eventually found the dark disk sitting silently in a corner of the office not far from its recharging station it wasn t hiding but stuck i must have moved that corner chair out of position making the over achieving orb think it could clean back there and get out safely but no that didn t work and i had to rescue roamy from its predicament and then there was the time roamy didn t appear at the assigned hour and i discovered i had closed the office door by the time i realized this the resolute robot had returned to its station but i pictured it knocking its determined plastic body against the door trying to force its way through had it called out to me in despair but i still faced the biggest challenge yet one day soon after virtuously refilling the water rinsing the pad and removing some hair twisted around the brushes roamy successfully made its rounds on the floor but then not much later the diligent disk detached itself from the charging station and made another round maybe i misunderstood my training and the scheduled times varied by day of the week never mind i redirected the surprised dogs so they wouldn t interfere and let roamy do its thing no problem or so i thought but then the whole cycle restarted just an hour or two later there was roamy rolling across the floor again i was getting tired of having to move my feet from under the dining table where i sit to write and edit but roamy was gently nudging my toes out of its path by the end of the day i lost count of how many times this confused contraption had made its circuit i was having trouble concentrating on my work something had to be done i didn t want to bother my vacationing family with what should have been a trivial and easily resolved issue i turned to google the only possible answer i found was that i accidentally hit the clean power button during my part of the device s maintenance and had confused it the suggestion was to push and hold the button to reboot i had nothing to lose took a deep breath and pressed the button i wouldn t know for sure until the next morning whether i had interfered with or blanked out the set times just in case i closed the office door so the robot wouldn t roam around the house during the night much to my delight at 8 00 the next morning i heard roamy s cheerful voice and familiar whirring sounds heading my way my plan had been a success all was right with the world maybe i can roll with the times and move into the future as i earlier said i often resist change but a major transformation awaited me just around the corner later in june i left frisco behind and moved to new braunfels in texas hill country there s no robot waiting to help with the cleaning but several of my other fur grandbabies both canine and feline will keep my life interesting thanks pixabay share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on x opens in new window x share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on reddit opens in new window reddit share on tumblr opens in new window tumblr print opens in new window print like loading fifty ways april 22 2026 april 22 2026 becky ross michael 53 comments lake michigan image from pixabay fifty ways the problem is not inside your head you see the answer is easy if you take it logically we need ideas in our struggles to be free there must be 50 ways to love our earth more now look it s really not my habit to intrude furthermore i hope my meaning won t be lost or misconstrued but i ll repeat myself at the risk of being crude there must be 50 ways to love our earth more at least 50 ways to love our earth more you just plant some new trees bree vote a new plan fran you don t need to be coy roy just set the earth free hop on a bus gus we need to discuss much just pick up the trash nash and set the earth free ooh plant some new trees bree vote a new plan fran you don t need to be coy roy just set the earth free hop on a bus gus we need to discuss much just check out these ways blaise and set the earth free you know it grieves me to see the earth in so much pain but here are things we can do to make it smile again and so please click here for the 50 ways to love our earth more then you can just sleep on it tonight and i believe in the morning you ll begin to see the light breathe deeply and you ll know that this is right there must be 50 ways to love our earth more at least 50 ways to love our earth more thanks for checking out the ideas at the link above on earth day or any day and thanks to paul simon for the lyrics ideas share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on x opens in new window x share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on reddit opens in new window reddit share on tumblr opens in new window tumblr print opens in new window print like loading fantastic find at the bookstore 14 two sides of shirley jackson march 10 2026 march 10 2026 becky ross michael 63 comments i picked up this book in a used bookstore in michigan about 25 years ago it was the charming artwork on the dust jacket that drew me in such a lovely family scene it wasn t until later that i put two and two together about the author shirley jackson my first experience with media related to shirley jackson was watching the black and white movie version of her book the haunting of hill house i was in high school and had come home early from a weekend date with a high temperature i lay on the couch and watched the only thing that looked interesting on our two available tv stations the movie the haunting was definitely creepy and i usually like non bloody scary movies or was it just my temperature and fatigue making me feel somewhat delirious no my mom thought it was too creepy and she went to bed i watched through my fingers until the sinister ending years later in college i read her famous story the lottery and wrote a paper on an old standard typewriter about the haunting of hill house i also sampled other stories from her collections psychological horror and literary suspense at their finest i loved her writing so where did life among the savages fit in i needed to know more i discovered that shirley jackson was married to a college professor and they raised four children with much of that time spent in the house depicted in the stylized art on the dust jacket shirley jackson was a not so typical mother of the 50s trying to raise kids and to contribute significantly to the family income it wasn t all fun and games just beneath the surface of her amusing tales we sense a woman on the edge who struggles to reach her writing goals while caring for a home and children with a husband who offers little help or true emotional support shirley jackson certainly had a dark side she often dealt with anxiety and a sense of exclusion but she wrote delightfully about the chaos of family life for me she s right up there with close contemporaries such as betty macdonald jean kerr and erma bombeck one of shirley jackson s well known stories titled charles is incorporated into life among the savages and i used that story when i taught middle school language arts as a wonderful example of irony and foreshadowing if you haven t read it you can check that out here her children are shown below on the back of the book s dust jacket i have since learned that she also wrote a follow up book called raising demons over the years i was always on the lookout for anything by shirley jackson one summer i went to the annual library used book sale in sault ste marie michigan and was excited to find the book come along with me pictured below it contains lectures about writing an unfinished novel at her death and short stories including the lottery it was edited by her husband stanley edgar hyman what a find the other book shirley jackson a rather haunted life by ruth franklin is a new exceptional biography that my sister gave me knowing my interest in the author when i reached the last page i felt that i knew this complex eccentric and often misunderstood woman and i could see how this talented author delved into malice cruelty and terror while also skillfully spinning humorous stories about everyday life share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on x opens in new window x share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on reddit opens in new window reddit share on tumblr opens in new window tumblr print opens in new window print like loading sweater weather november 30 2025 becky ross michael 84 comments rubble reign hazel and remi the weather has finally turned chilly here in north texas but it wasn t that many weeks days ago that the temps were still quite toasty here s a little story i wrote about one of those days all safe inside the air around us is suffocatingly hot close and still a weak light wobbles in my hand smells of doggie breath spit and sweat assail my nose three of my four charges take turns panting and barking the fourth snarls and tries to rip apart the small dog bed on the floor beyond our confined space all noises are muffled and faint i feel my heart beating in my sore teeth and then a text lands on my phone earlier that day go potty i said opening the door to let my four fur grandbabies into the backyard hazel the senior boxer immediately lay down in a patch of sun rubble remi and reign the three miniature pinschers sprinted away to the far corners of the fenced area after watering thirsty plants i sat on a lawn chair thankful for the beautiful day the sky was deep blue with a few cottony white tufts a gentle breeze cooled my skin i heard a lawnmower next door and soon the smell of newly mown grass wafted over the fence one of the min pins zoomed past dog sitting for that pack kept me on my toes and made the week fly by go potty i reminded the dogs noting they were more interested in napping or chasing toads butterflies and bunnies unexpectedly i heard faint chirps and looked above at the improbably small barn swallow nest the mud structure was secured under a corner of the back porch overhang an adult bird swooped in for feeding time popping above the edge of the nest were three tiny bird heads their beaks opened and waiting quite a show with closed eyes i listened to the relaxing sounds of the pool s fountain i hadn t brought my suit but considered coming back out later to cool my feet in the water while i read my smile soon turned into a frown when i felt a slight twinge in my teeth a recent visit to the dentist had provided no resolution except for another appointment scheduled for several weeks later just then i got a call from my vacationing daughter she asked about the doggies and mentioned seeing that severe weather was expected in the area that night i know texas storms can be extreme i reassured her that i wasn t worried and would remain weather aware i urged the dogs back indoors promising treats for those who obeyed rubble was often the holdout spending extra time moseying around the perimeter of the yard for anything he missed on his initial patrol of the area the rest of the day got away from me between the dogs and the editing work that always accompanied me on the laptop before i knew it the clock said it was past time for the dogs dinner followed by their last potty break when i opened the door i realized the weather had turned the temperature had dropped and a strong wind blew in the sky angry dark clouds raced across the face of the moon the baby birds were quiet for the night and i was happy for the protection they had within their nest i encouraged the puppy potty party of four to go out and do their business quickly inside i told the dogs as soon as they d gone potty promising them treats if they quickly followed my command back in the house i remembered the blue betta swimming lazily in its fishbowl and sprinkled a few food pellets into the water i closed the blinds and got ready for bed rain spattered the windows before long hazel lounged on her large dog bed and the three min pins were up on the bed with me and my book suddenly the shrill blare of weather warning sirens sounded like in my nearby town that alert meant a tornado or large hail with high destructive winds i would take no chances and felt a strong responsibility for my daughter s dogs grabbing my phone flashlight and a handful of dog treats come treat i announced we headed for the storm shelter solidly set in the hot garage of course rubble being rubble needed to make several passes inside the garage before he joined the others in the small shelter i turned on the flashlight closed the door and sat on a low stool that s when all heck broke loose no not weatherwise in fact i could barely hear the wind and the faint pelting of hail the problem was with the dogs as the confused canines tried to make sense of their surroundings i already wondered how long we d need to stay in that sweaty torture chamber remi and reign nipped at each other trying to run around in the small space hazel barked loudly sending her odiferous breath directly into my face and a snarling rubble took over the small pet bed on the floor not to lie down but to try and rip it apart with his teeth time stood still right now my phone buzzes with a timely text from my daughter just checked the radar for your area are you okay i assure her we are all safe in the storm shelter except the fish oops there s a fan in there she adds i shine my flashlight into the dark corners and there it is right next to me my savior i turn on the fan and pick up rubble he sits on my lap whiskers facing into the surprisingly cool breeze rubble is suddenly quiet and content the other three follow his lead lie down and go silent i check my phone for a weather update my toothache recedes from a steady throb to an occasional twinge tomorrow the sun will return and i will start my second day of dog sitting i can do this share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on x opens in new window x share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on reddit opens in new window reddit share on tumblr opens in new window tumblr print opens in new window print like loading literary rescue june 16 2025 becky ross michael 5...