Below the front door to my house is a large dirt pit, the first stage in the repair and redesign of the steps leading up to the entrance. This is what I arrived home to after a long weekend with my daughter in southern California, followed immediately by a trip to Ohio for the funeral of a dear … [Read more...] about When the dust settles
Mother Nature
As I sit in my currently 90 degree apartment, unable to control the temperature even with a wall A/C unit that apparently stops functioning properly when the weather outside goes above 80 degrees, I think about how little control we have as humans. Just watch any documentary about global warming and … [Read more...] about Mother Nature
Happiness is . . .
Take a minute, say the phrase, ask yourself what comes to mind. A warm blanket? A warm puppy? A warm gun. That first hint of springtime green which really is gold. A deep ruby Grenache that catches the light and warms the spirit. A walk around the lake, alone, or through a museum, … [Read more...] about Happiness is . . .
Every bag has its day
At the very beginning of The Museum of Innocence, Orhan Pamuk’s novel of obsessive love, the narrator buys his fiancée a designer handbag she’d spotted when they passed by a boutique the night before. A simple, thoughtful gesture—to please the woman he’s engaged to—sets his life on an expected … [Read more...] about Every bag has its day
Once upon a time . . .
During my post-college, single-in-the-city years, I almost never watched TV. Time spent alone in my Upper West Side digs meant time spent reading or listening to music—rock, classical, disco, jazz, whatever the mood called for. A solid state Fisher stereo was all I had room for and the sound was … [Read more...] about Once upon a time . . .
What day of the week never comes?
Show of hands, how many of us have already broken our New Year’s resolutions two and a half weeks into the New Year? That’s because New Year’s resolutions are dumb. Seriously. They’re almost made to be broken. Just look at the gym—it starts out full every January, and by February or March it’s … [Read more...] about What day of the week never comes?
