Cloth Puzzles With Mom

Word Puzzles, Jigsaw Puzzles, Number Puzzles, Crossword Puzzles, Tangram Puzzles. All these puzzles involve solving a problem either with word clues, numerical plays on numbers or spatial proportions. Puzzles were part of our family upbringing. Both my parents liked tackling the New York Times crossword puzzle; often shuttling it between themselves during the weekday mornings….

Learning to Sew

Mom gave up her sewing room when my brother turned one. In that room, she had sewn each of her daughters a first communion dress; I recall mine—blue with cap sleeves. With her Singer sewing machine she carefully sewed Halloween costumes and tended to the basket of mending. While I don’t recall when she taught…