Author Archives: mathdreads
The Perfect Gift
For years, I tortured myself, thinking of unique gifts for my immediate family. Gift-shopping was so much easier during the years I lived outside the States. The real challenge arose when I returned in 2009. The period between then and 2020 were hit or miss. After eight years of being an expat, I resettled in … Continue reading
Grilled Cheese Festival
I’d never been to a Grilled Cheese Festival before, but the name alone evoked fond childhood memories. However, we coupled the experience with ciders. I don’t remember what charity the event raised money for, but people were definitely generous, sharing extra food tokens with us as we arrived. We even saw other friends who’d arrived … Continue reading
2025 Thanksgiving: A Drinking Jacket
I don’t have a passion for cooking. The most I do since moving back in with my parents is make breakfast every morning. Even the pull of Thanksgiving didn’t inspire me to prepare a dish or dessert to share. For a brief moment, I thought about bringing my very first batch of Kool-Aid pickles. I’d … Continue reading
1: Ghana Trip | Exodus
For a total of eleven years, I’d worked outside the States, starting in Tanzania with the Peace Corps. Yet, I planned far more for a two-week trip to Ghana than I’d ever planned for life in another country. Also, this was the most I’d ever paid for a vacation; so, I wanted to make sure … Continue reading
2: Ghana Trip | Delirious
When had it become Sunday? Surely, while we flew over international waters. Ghana was four hours ahead of the East Coast. But psychologically, the idea of “the next day” didn’t gel because I hadn’t slept. Despite the fact that my head was cushioned and propped against the window, I couldn’t fall asleep for any appreciable … Continue reading
3: Ghana Trip | Tribe of One
RC and I joined other early-bird members of our tour group outside of the hotel. To the right of the hotel, a watermelon vendor was ready for business BEFORE 6 AM. Talk about a strong entrepreneurial spirit. As a matter of fact, there were many people up at that time, just milling about. Then, I … Continue reading
4: Ghana Trip | Dancing before Food
My sister joined us for the 6 AM morning walk. Yesterday, she was late and never caught up with us. Although we retraced our route from the day before, we experienced less traffic, no walk-of-shame club goers and fewer tour group members. We walked past the doughnut vendor and across the bridge. I pointed out … Continue reading
5: Ghana Trip | Musical Dialogue
After returning the room key and placing my suitcase in the bus, I headed to breakfast by 7 AM. Other tour members were waiting in the lobby for 7:30 since that was the breakfast start time on our agenda. They followed me because I announced that breakfast should have already started. The agenda also showed … Continue reading
6: Ghana Trip | Earring Memories
Perhaps that blaring church music from last night affected me more than I realized. Thursday was actually the 17th! As I figured, our rural morning walk was wonderful. Less traffic, less noise and no air pollution. I saw a bar adjacent to a pharmacy and asked aloud, “Which one has the cure?” (Please click on … Continue reading
7: Ghana Trip | Reclaiming Treasures
My head was full of prayers for Dad during the morning walk. I thought about my leave-the-country curse. Just before I had left the States to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania, my maternal grandfather passed. A few days before I returned to the States after completing my PCV service, my paternal grandmother … Continue reading