Wednesday morning, we embarked on the Laws cousin roadtrip to take in Antietam and Gettysburg. We had a solid eight-hour drive to Hagerstown, Maryland, where I had booked our hotels. The ride was amazing, incredible even. And by amazing, I mean, “Wow, I didn’t know this was possible,” and by incredible, I mean, “You willContinue reading “The Waffle Stomp Is Still Unsolved, and Life Is Not Fair”
Author Archives: Gordon Laws
The Revolution Is Here
I collect Civil War, Revolutionary War, and Colonial-era ephemera—nothing too exotic, just old soldiers’ letters, tax receipts, ship manifests, that sort of thing. (Don’t come rob my house, stalkers—I’ve never paid more than $100 for anything.) I had to work this morning before taking the afternoon off to take the cousins to Lexington and Concord.Continue reading “The Revolution Is Here”
Cousins for Lu’s Birthday
The Laws cousins from Houston arrived on Monday. They’re escaping the hurricane-wrecked city and roadtripping with the boys this week. Graham and I headed into the urban hellscape known as Logan to pick them up. The twins, Eli and Emma, have never been to Boston while their older brother Will hasn’t visited in a decade.Continue reading “Cousins for Lu’s Birthday”
A Camp Cliffhanger
Last Monday, Graham headed to Church camp, which was held at University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. He stayed in the dorms, and his buddy Elijah was his roommate. He had his phone and could use it whenever. His updates from camp the entire week were as follows. MondayGraham: Some of the kids inContinue reading “A Camp Cliffhanger”
Quoth the Raven: Fear Me Forevermore
When I was a missionary, I spent five months with an elder who was a quarter Cherokee and who grew up on the reservation in North Carolina. We were going from house to house and knocking doors near Occidental College, and as we approached the porch of a small yellow house, my companion froze. “HoldContinue reading “Quoth the Raven: Fear Me Forevermore”
The Lonely Grandmothering Preview
The family of Lindsay’s boyfriend, Carson, joined us for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Our eastern Pennsylvania visitors included, oldest to youngest, Chad, Carrie, Carson, and Griffin. Griffin is entering eighth grade and started the visit off with a bang—he marched in wearing a hideous Philadelphia 76ers hat. Tactical error on his part. “Wow,Continue reading “The Lonely Grandmothering Preview”
All the Promises We Make
Lauren and I got engaged in her final semester at BYU. In the waning days of that semester, she was drafting a huge paper on Eleanor Roosevelt and advice columns she used to write. I was an English major and writer, so Lauren asked me to read her paper and offer comments. It was probablyContinue reading “All the Promises We Make”
Show em You’re a Tiger
A few weeks after Bowie joined Lucia and Brayden, Lucia texted me to ask if I thought it was a bad idea to get another dog. I said something along the lines that if both halves of the marriage were good with it, it was probably fine. Turns out that Lu and Brayden had beenContinue reading “Show em You’re a Tiger”
Massive Head Wound Harry Takes a Trip
I woke up the morning after the fall with the head wrap still in place and only a little blood in the gauze. Great first aid by me, if I say so myself. As we got ready to head out for our morning walk, Lauren said, “I hope you’re planning to take that thing off,”Continue reading “Massive Head Wound Harry Takes a Trip”
Kids, Do Not Try This at Home
After a hiatus to write a novel, I am back and with stories more devastating than ever. You know the old saying: no poorly executed good deed goes unpunished. A couple weeks ago, Lauren drove Lindsay to western NY to connect with the family of Lindsay’s boyfriend. When I finished work and dinner, I hadContinue reading “Kids, Do Not Try This at Home”
His Smile Lit Up a Room and Other Things to Say at My Funeral 