The Facebook message found me on fringes of Southwest Thailand. It was from John, first home-town boyfriend and now writer for the local paper. “Lori Danneffel died.” This can’t be right. I just saw her this summer. Lori? She has a husband. Grandkids. A contagious laugh that still rings in my ears. A pit forms in my stomach, the kind […]
New Years in the Middle of Everywhere
Shades of Orange
She reminded me of my mom, right down to how she could use her belly as an arm rest. Her name, Bergitta, a retired librarian from Sweden who happened to be staying at my home-stay in Luang Prabang. She wasted no time. “Would you like to teach monks how to speak English?” “Excuse me?” I came to this city to […]