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Judy McLain
Judy McLain

1.7K Followers

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Published in Hinged

·1 day ago

A Snowball’s Chance in Hell

Innocence was never really an option Dallas, Texas, New Year’s Day, 1930 A two-foot snowfall in Dallas transformed my grandparents overnight. My grandfather went outside wearing my grandmother’s mink. They built a snowman before I even knew it snowed. I was in the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of milk…

Hinged

4 min read

A Snowball’s Chance in Hell
A Snowball’s Chance in Hell
Hinged

4 min read


Published in The Howling Owl

·4 days ago

I Am the Ghost of Ellis Nixon

Bipolar poltergeist — The first time I was sent to a sanitorium, I was just 23, newly married to the love of my life, Eliza. Eliza found me walking behind our rental house, naked from the knees up, wearing the black rubber boots I’d bought at a rummage sale. I’d cut my wrist…

The Howling Owl

11 min read

I Am the Ghost of Ellis Nixon
I Am the Ghost of Ellis Nixon
The Howling Owl

11 min read


4 days ago

EBay’s Nightmare Customer

Some people — you just can’t make them happy I make my living selling on eBay. Yes, I write here on Medium and I get a monthly payout but the $4.63/month doesn’t really pay my bills. I’ve been making a living on eBay for over 23 years which means I’ve…

This Happened To Me

6 min read

EBay’s Nightmare Customer
EBay’s Nightmare Customer
This Happened To Me

6 min read


Published in The Howling Owl

·Jan 18

Quicksand

From the bayou to the river and beyond — The walk from Breaux Bridge to the place where Bayou Teche runs itself into the Atchafalaya River is over 100 miles if you don’t take shortcuts over land. …

The Howling Owl

7 min read

Quicksand
Quicksand
The Howling Owl

7 min read


Published in Hinged

·Jan 14

Guided By the Light

Amora’s red lantern Quicksand walked for days on dirt roads through high points in the swamp, trying to get to Big Momma. He kept sight of the bayou when he could, just like she’d taught him. Big Momma was Amora to everyone else who knew her. Everyone who knew her…

Hinged

4 min read

Guided By the Light
Guided By the Light
Hinged

4 min read


Published in The Howling Owl

·Dec 21, 2022

Since When Do I Need Big Girl Panties to Get Through Christmas?

My zen attitude is off the charts, y’all — I admit; I’m not exactly traditional. But there are things, traditional things, that I love and have embraced in my 66 years. Christmas is probably at the top of that list. It would be hard to narrow down the top ten things I appreciate about Christmas or my most beloved…

The Howling Owl

10 min read

Since When Do I Need Big Girl Panties to Get Through Christmas?
Since When Do I Need Big Girl Panties to Get Through Christmas?
The Howling Owl

10 min read


Published in The Howling Owl

·Dec 21, 2022

Win in the Marsh

A Christmas story — About a month ago I saw a Gallinule floating on the edge of the marsh. Depending on the tide the water can be brackish and I know that Gallinules prefer freshwater. I got the binoculars from the top shelf of the closet I designated as Win’s when I moved here…

The Howling Owl

7 min read

Win in the Marsh
Win in the Marsh
The Howling Owl

7 min read


Published in The Howling Owl

·Nov 30, 2022

Pennsylvania Redneck

He wore a red bandana… — H.G. was probably too old to play gunslinger the summer he turned 13. Two weeks prior to his birthday nobody would have looked twice to see him with a red bandana knotted around his neck, six-shooter drawn, staring down his best friend Jimmy Stillson. Now that he was 13, Mrs…

The Howling Owl

11 min read

Pennsylvania Redneck
Pennsylvania Redneck
The Howling Owl

11 min read


Published in The Howling Owl

·Nov 16, 2022

The End of Summer

and the magic of running aground… — Pinchy Waller sat in the emergency room, only half as worried about her toe as she was about Darwin being mad at her. He sat next to her, working the Patient Information Form he’d been given to sign into a tight twist. “Dammit, Pinchy, we’re gonna miss our trip out…

The Howling Owl

10 min read

The End of Summer
The End of Summer
The Howling Owl

10 min read


Published in Hinged

·Nov 12, 2022

Might as Well Live

A phobic’s tribute to Dorothy Parker’s Resumé

Hinged

1 min read

Might as Well Live
Might as Well Live
Hinged

1 min read

Photo by Tamara Gore on Unsplash

Might as Well Live

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Judy McLain

Judy McLain

1.7K Followers

Shit Creek survivor. Storyteller. Feminist liberal. Southern without the accent. Chihuahuaist.

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