Growing up, I loved every holiday.Valentine cards, chocolate Easter bunnies, Fourth of July fireworks, Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas presents, New Year’s noisemakers and goofy hats — I was all in. Looking back, I realize every holiday came with a responsibility attached.Cards to write. Church to attend. Gifts to buy. Food to cook. Plans to make.The onlyContinue reading “Halloween Is the Best Holiday, and I’ll Die on This Hill”
Author Archives: Dennis D Montoya
Apparently, I Just Never Stopped
Since you’ve been reading some of my blogs, I thought I should probably introduce myself. Hi. I’m Dennis. I started writing sometime around the fifth grade. I would write short stories and share them with my friends. I don’t remember thinking much about it at the time. I just thought it was fun. Fast-forward aboutContinue reading “Apparently, I Just Never Stopped”
Juror Number Ten
I didn’t realize then that jury duty wouldn’t teach me what justice is, only how fragile it feels when you’re the one holding it. My wife, Colleen, gets picked for jury duty all the time. She’ll open the mailbox, see the envelope, and groan like it’s the universe reminding her she hasn’t suffered enough. SheContinue reading “Juror Number Ten”
Fall Letter 2026
Marriage According to Dateline
When I first got married, my wife watched Dateline NBC like it was a manual.
Not casually or in passing. Religiously. She never missed an episode, even watching the reruns.
Join by Friday.
Marriage According to Dateline arrives in your inbox Friday. Subscribers also get a story, a toast, and something worth thinking about. [Subscribe] Stories, observations, and subscriber-only extras from Dennis D. Montoya.
The Squirrel Relocation Program
How I Spent a Summer Giving Squirrels Rides to the Park The first house we bought was a 1930s fixer-upper with two enormous walnut trees in the backyard. They were beautiful trees. Slightly overgrown, but beautiful, and they shaded nearly the entire yard. It made the entire back yard just a little bit nicer. WithContinue reading “The Squirrel Relocation Program”
“It’s Just Pizza… Right?”
I was eating pizza the other day at Fazzari’s Finest, a local place in Clarkston. The Fazzari family has been running it for years. Super kind people. They can make a mean pizza pie.My pie I order? Large cheese with extra cheese and extra sauce. Tomatoes on the side. I had that thought. Pizza isn’tContinue reading ““It’s Just Pizza… Right?””
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A Dog, a Plate of Bacon, and a Problem
People ask why I became a vegetarian. The short answer is ethics. The long answer starts with a dog named Pete.
