I really thought I was beyond the petty insults, that I could withstand anything—I mean, I get up every morning at 6:35, pour a cup of coffee, and settle down into Maggie’s Twitter feed. That is how I have spent every morning, more or less, since May of 2020. I am anxious today. I had… Continue reading Stressed and a little wounded by Maggie

A big weekend here at the Ditmarstons. Wyatt returned home from camp and we all felt very weird. Very. Did he still like us? Were we as morally upstanding as his camp communicated that people must be? That was quickly followed by Saturday, where we did single-handed combat with ancient sibling-related shame issues. But today… Continue reading Personal milestones reached, followed by a sense of ennui

Maggie is really leaving. It’s not fake. She most likely will not come back to the house so we are not bound to her until death. It feels different to live like this, like Maggie isn’t clinging to my back until I stagger into my grave, dead. As a doornail. Death is on my mind.… Continue reading Deep shifts in the lizard brain?

Dear Wyatt,Today was a good day. Today was a solidly good day, during which your mother saw Hamlet, your father worked and sent some emails, Maude dragged herself to work, and the house next door went on sale.I do not stutter, sir! Maggie’s house is for sale. Tomorrow we call and tour. Tomorrow I text… Continue reading Letter to Wyatt at Summer Camp #7

Dear Wyatt,I have nothing to tell you. Daisy agonized over her awful boss but has returned to work. She lodged a really good complaint and that’s all she can do. It’s really good, and kind of inspiring, that she is managing this stuff. It’s just work stuff and that’s all you can do is manage… Continue reading Letter to Wyatt at Summer Camp #6

Dear Wyatt,Your father is driving me nuts lately, although he basically always drives me nuts, so perhaps if he were not insisting on hanging out with me on the deck as I write and drink wine and look for neighbors to chat with, and he’s here sort of weeding and grunting at the same time,… Continue reading Letter to Wyatt at Summer Camp #5

Dear Wyatt,It is still very hot here—day 4 of the heat advisory. Or five. We just got your 2nd letter (or first letter after the postcard). Louisa and her boyfriend were here dropping off keys for a car they were parking near us, so we read your letter aloud and we all agreed that it… Continue reading Letter to Wyatt at Summer Camp #4

NOTE: I missed a day, and this one includes a message from Calvin. Dear Wyatt,I missed yesterday’s email to you because your father and I saw a 4-hour Ancient Greek play series. The Oresteia, all about a family killing each other, one by one. It was actually really good but very, very long. So Honey… Continue reading Letter to Wyatt at Summer Camp #3

Dear Wyatt,Sorry I sent you two emails yesterday of the same thing–I was testing whether it registered that I had sent one. Dumb method. So today is dreadfully hot but a few good things have happened. Well, let’s start with the bad thing. This morning at 5:30 AM daddy and I were woken by noises… Continue reading Letter to Wyatt at Summer Camp #2

Dear Wyatt,First of all, you should know that I’m going to post my emails to you on blog because I’m too busy to make two of these reports. Today was the first day you were gone/gone, but I should recap and tell you we did return Honey Bear and it was fine. We napped a… Continue reading Letter to Wyatt at Summer Camp #1