TABLE OF CONTENTS

I Birds of a Feather 5
Old Men, Coffee, and a Slice of Life 7
Inevitably Invisible 11
II Profiles in Courage and Other Curiosities 15
My Dad 17
The Unforgettable Vern Feen 25
The Right Stuff 31
The Stuff of Legend 37
The One and Only Wilma Brehm 43
A Ray of Sunshine 49
Into the Season 55
As Fate Would Have It 57
Prologue and into Brothering Season 65
III Predicaments 69
Bob Talks About Getting Tough at Air Force Survival School 71
When the Song Changes 73
Thanks for the Memories 75
Easier to Swallow 81
IV Dirty Old Men and a Gal 83
Imagine Lincoln Owned a Whorehouse and Miss Kitty Approved 85
A Sunday Authority 89
Sparring Partners 91
Hokey and the Bandit 93
V Assorted Morsels 97
Benevolence of Servers 99
An American Woman’s Montage 101
Ash Monday 105
No Other Response Needed 107
Parade Day 109
VI Come What May 113
A Broken Record 115
Falling 121
Hospicetality 127
Letting Go 131
Pill Popping and Dropping 137
VII The End of an Era 141
Vern and Wilma’s Last Tee Jaye’s Sunday Together 143
Aside 147
Comforter 151
How to Repurpose 155
Neverland 159

[Authors’ biographies below]

4/16/25: “In There’s a Rock on Martin Avenue, an unusual and fascinating collection of vignettes and poems, two adult children turn the spotlight—and the tables—on their fathers’ weekly breakfast outings. In a group consisting mostly of (very) older men (and one Wilma), these breakfast gabfests are exposed as riotous affairs, where the gatherers become legends and where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. In one piece, a son remembers “Then, as if on cue, both Dad and Mom . . . in synchronized fashion turned their faces toward me and clacked their dentures like castanets!” In another piece, a daughter recounts dealing with her father’s failing mental acuity: “Cliff asks him his favorite Christmas song. / “Obama,” he says, without delay. / Somehow this is an easier thing to swallow.” Treyens and Feen collaborate smoothly to unflinchingly honor, preserve, and celebrate the lives of these remarkable men (and one Wilma).

—Dianne Borsenik, author of Flight of Honey and Raga for What Comes Next; Editor/Publisher at NightBallet Press, Poet Laureate at Speak of the Devil cocktail bar in Lorain, Ohio

4/15/25:

This from the Social Work Prep Test Blog: “The relationship between aging parents and their adult children evolves over time, particularly as parents face physical decline, cognitive changes, or financial insecurity. This dynamic has profound implications across several areas, affecting the emotional, financial, physical, social lives of adult children, as well as caregiving system overall.”

4/15/25:

From Cliff: The level of stress on caregivers and their families varies greatly, according to various studies. More on that later. Please feel free to share your thoughts or experiences for possible posting. No specific names will be used in those items posted.