Life in General
The Pleasures of Grandchildren
I am spending this week with my beloved grandson, son and daughter-in-law, who came to visit this weekend. Liam, at two, is a reminder of all life’s miracles, and we have had so much fun together. Love sitting with his wonderful parents discussing their lives and all the things we can’t cover in telephone calls.…
Read MoreWho Are You Exactly? Just Take a Quiz and Find Out.
There’s a new wave sweeping social media. Take a few moments, take one of a gazillion possible quizzes and you’ll answer that all-important existential question. Who am I? Sort of. For instance, this month I discovered that I am Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street, Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory, Bones from Star Trek,…
Read MoreHow Can We Help?
Once again as we sit in our homes, warm and well fed, our televisions show a different picture of life across the oceans. Right now estimates for loss of life in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan top 10,000. And survivors will have years of rebuilding ahead, as well as picking up the pieces of their…
Read MoreWho Knows Where the Times Goes
I’m heading south right now, and thought of this song to share while I’m away. Enjoy Judy Collins, and I’ll see you here again on Tuesdays once I get to Florida.
Read MoreFive Things I Learned This Summer
The Old Farmer’s Almanac claims that summer doesn’t end until September 22nd when the autumnal equinox signals the sun crossing the celestial equator. For me, summer ends when the Chautauqua season ends, which happened yesterday. At our weekly Sunday evening service, the end of the 2013 season was made official with a ceremonial three taps…
Read MoreDeadlines, Guests and the Downside of Mother Nature
The last week was spent sleeping off a cold, entertaining my very thoughtful and independent guests when I could, and somehow sneaking in pages on No River Too Wide when I felt up to it. It was not spent blogging, but no wonder. I know you understand. Fiction Friday will be back (guess which day)…
Read MoreHow I Spend My Summer Vacation: The Joys of Chautauqua Institution
Some of you have asked about the place where I spend my summers, so today a photo essay. Chautauqua Institution, in Chautauqua, NY,was founded in 1874 as the Chautauqua Lake Sunday School Assembly, an experiment in out-of-school learning. Although the Assembly was founded by Methodists, other denominations participated from the beginning. Now the Institution is an…
Read MoreAnd How’s The Weather Treating You?
The Most Truthful Part of a Newspaper
“The advertisement is the most truthful part of a newspaper.” Thomas Jefferson. Need more TJ to start your morning? He also said: “I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it.” With all respect for President Jefferson–in most matters not relating to slavery, anyway–I…
Read MoreThe “Joys” of Technology
Mercury isn’t even in retrograde. I just checked, because despite my skepticism about all things astrological, I want to blame my techie failures in the past twenty-four hours on the alignment of the stars. No such luck, though. Even astrology has failed me. I’m stuck with my own mistakes, me and the increasingly complicated life…
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