Amy Hill Hearth

A close friend died recently, apparently in her sleep, at the age of 54. She was divorced and lived alone. When her grown sons hadn’t heard from her for a few days, they went to check on her and found that she had passed away.

She and I had been great pals in college,  Read More 

The Delany Sisters, my old friends, had a delightful expression when referring to an important secret. They called it “graveyard talk,” or something you might say to a gravestone when no one else is around.

I think the world we live in needs more “graveyard talk,” especially since the advent of social media. I  Read More 

All you really need to know about my Dad is that he will celebrate his 90th birthday this Saturday and he’s making long-range plans. That’s right, folks. He is thinking about the future and aiming for 100. His own mother lived to 101 so he thinks this is reasonable.

Ideally, he says, his goal  Read More 

Did you know that the great American author Edith Wharton adored dogs, and typically had several at a time? She was unapologetically sentimental when it came to the subject. “My little dog – a heartbeat at my feet,” she once wrote. At her estate in Lenox, Mass., one can even visit the pet cemetery, complete  Read More 

I have one thing in common with Garrison Keillor of “Prairie Home Companion” fame: He once said he could never write anything that would embarrass his mother.

I understand that completely. My parents are in their late eighties and they read every word I write, and always have. In fact, I would not be  Read More