Deep Sky Anchor – Page 158 – An e-zine about spaceships, aliens, science, memory, motherhood, magic, and cats.

Ecto-Cafe

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in The Daily Grind, April 2019

“Doggonit. No pastries today. They were all possessed.”

Sunny reached for the strap of her ecto-pack, but before she could pull the bulky piece of technology out of the sedan’s hatchback, an imperious feline voice rang out from the driver’s seat: “What do you think you’re doing?”

Sunny mumbled something about gearing up, but Ripley, the small white cat who was the de facto leader of the Ecto-Busters, cut the yellow lab off. “You don’t need an ecto-pack to run into a cafe and pick up a quick snack.”

Continue reading “Ecto-Cafe”

Mood

Current mood: raging cauldron of bees

Desired mood: placid frog on a lily pad

Path between moods: 404 not found

Joke Telephone

The 6-year-old: “Want to hear a joke? Why did the golfer wear two pair of pants? In case one got a hole!” Followed by delighted cackling.

Me, having trouble listening: “What? A mole wearing pants?” Also delighted cackling.

TV Shows at Their Best

There are some shows that help clarify the world & even help you understand yourself. So when they end, you’re not just losing a show you enjoyed watching, you’re losing a source of insight, something you could lean on to make your life and yourself better.‬

If Wishes Were Shows

I know there’s a lot more important things to wish for… but I wish that there was a new episode of Star Trek: DS9, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Bojack Horseman, and Tuca & Bertie every week, instead of, you know, all of those shows being over.‬

‪I guess, while I’m wishing, I wish there was an animated musical space show with lots of animal characters, spaceships, songs, and feminism with a new episode every week too.‬

Lorax

The lesson the six-year-old learned from The Lorax: if you want to summon the Lorax, just chop down a tree.‬

Growing a New Hand

The twelve-year-old: “Being a child is kind of like being the Doctor in the middle of regeneration. But you’re not glowing all the time. But he was able to grow a new hand.”‬ Continue reading “Growing a New Hand”

The Cover That Could Have Been

Today’s mood: mad about toxic masculinity in the lyrics of songs that were Oldies before I was born.‬

There’s a Beach Boys cover of the Crystals song, “Then He Kissed Me.”‬ Continue reading “The Cover That Could Have Been”

Cultural Touchstones Drifting Out of Time

That feeling when you think you’re having a perfectly normal conversation and then your ten-years-younger friend follows it up with, “What are They Might Be Giants?” and you just don’t know what to say.

You Don’t Have to Grow Up

You never have to grow out of playing with toys, wearing costumes, reading books with pictures and talking animals, watching animation, singing songs for fun, and just prancing around when you feel like moving. You only get one life. Hold onto the things that make you happy.