Leavingthedooropen.com

Category: Limited Edition

  • On the Scent…for Research

    On the Scent…for Research

    UPS delivered the package on Saturday evening, December 16th, at 6:00 p.m. The return address was The IU School of Medicine. This was not a Christmas present. When I saw it, I like to think that it was my last “yes” capping off my year of experimentation of trying instead of denying new things in…

  • Caleb

    Caleb

    It was just a day; a Tuesday, to be exact. I woke, watched a little news with coffee, dressed and pulled out of the garage at 7:55 am. I drove to work in Evanston, Illinois. My office was on Davis Street and we were lucky to have a parking garage right across the street. I…

  • The Days – A Gripping & Cautionary Tale

    When they announced The Emmys for outstanding television programming, I wanted to see a nomination or two for “The Days.” It is an eight-part limited series on Netflix. Sadly, the show was overlooked. I was relieved to learn later that its date of release pre-empted it from qualification in the 2022- 2023 season. So, there…

  • Take It to the Limit

    I was fifteen when The Eagles released their song “Take It to the Limit.” Just typing those words brings the melody to mind; it has that strong of a hook. Some songs are like that. The song was unique because it was one of the rare times that base player Randy Meisner took the lead…

  • Wide Waters

    Wide Waters

    “The water is wide, I can’t cross overAnd neither have I wings to fly.Give me a boat that can carry twoAnd both shall row my love and I.” These are the opening lyrics to “The Water is Wide.” I first became acquainted with the song when I purchased the Restless Nights album by Karla Bonoff…

  • My Afternoon with Matthew McConaughey

    My Afternoon with Matthew McConaughey

    It really all started with Instagram. When the new year began, I finally decided to join. At its most basic, I always considered it a photography platform, and I am not a photographer. But I hit “Create an Account” anyway and started following family and some public figures. I posted a handful of tepid nature…

  • The Sticker

    The Sticker

    Last March, I had just finished a refreshing swim and beach walk with my husband along a stretch of the Atlantic which parallels Patrick Air Force Base. The beach is between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach (fans of the famed “I Dream of Jeannie” television show may remember Major Tony Nelson lived there) on Florida’s…

  • Digging a Little 3-Part Harmony

    Digging a Little 3-Part Harmony

    It’s New Year’s Eve, 1972. A band is playing “Celebrate, Celebrate, dance to the music..” and suddenly Dick Clark’s voice emerges “direct from aboard the Queen Mary in California, coast to coast in Times Square in New York, you’re invited to Three Dog Night’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve starring Three Dog Night, Blood Sweat and…

  • Rallying to Write.. And What Happened

    Rallying to Write.. And What Happened

    Last June was a busy month for me. I had my port-a-cath surgically removed; we drove to the other side of the state to spend several days with family and I had an emotional visit with my mom as she had deteriorated so much since my last visit. She could not speak, except a loud…

  • Once in a Lifetime

    Once in a Lifetime

    For most of September, I have been on an unexpected hiatus. I needed time to finalize plans for my mother’s service, pull my thoughts and words together for a eulogy, and spend time with my visiting family. I debated how to approach my next post as I have focused (understandably so) on Gretchen’s passing. I…