The snow has been in a hurry to melt the last couple of weeks. The drift that locked the greenhouse door shut all winter quickly evaporated and we could let ourselves in. My husband and boys, already infected by spring fever went out to work, organizing the glass house. When we moved in last summer, …

The day the drain pipe vomits up raw sewage all over the downstairs floor, it’s always at the most inconvenient time. Day in and day out, the pipes and laws of gravity behave, and without any praise, they hide the filth and contamination from a home bustling above. The day it spews its ugly stench, …