When I was a teenager I’d get in the car to go out with my friends and immediately the thrill of possibility would course through my bloodstream. Someone would begin the mantra and we’d all join in – “The night is young and so are we!” I didn’t know what we’d be doing and I didn’t care because everything was fresh and exciting. That’s how I still feel about books. […]
Kids’ school Thanksgiving projects tickle me so much. The Boy brought home turkeys he made with each feather representing what he is thankful for. The top one’s feathers say: I an Thankful for being smart I am thankful for being helthy I am thankful that I have a house. I am thankful for the food I eat. I am thankful for my school. I am thankful to be an America. […]
“Give me a boy until the age of seven and I will give you the man.” This quote is attributed to various Jesuits. Its meaning, I guess, is that our path is shaped early in life. Also, our path is predictable based on what we are like as little children. I do wonder how much truth there is to this idea. My own boy is interested in the following careers: […]
I was hanging out at the park yesterday with friends, and my friend Deborah brought a chess set to teach us to play. I’ve never learned to play chess because it’s just too daunting. All of those pieces move in different ways, and you have to defend your king and capture the other king, and it seems like there are infinite moves, and I have no idea which one to […]
You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you’ve a mind to. So sang the late, great Roger Miller. I’m inclined to believe him on both counts. Trouble is, I haven’t had the mind to be happy today. I’m still hurting over the loss of Buckley. I’ve had an evening of the best possible comfort: a wonderful family, some wine, chocolate, Pride and Prejudice […]
Sadness has settled into me like a chest cold. We put our doggie down this morning. Buckley was 14 years, 4 months old. The vet at the emergency clinic was compassionate about it. “He’s gone,” she told us, listening to Buckley’s chest with a stethoscope after the second injection. For 14 years, I’ve been correcting people. Buckley was a “she.” But I just didn’t have the energy to do it […]
The moon is high in the western sky. It’s been out in the daytime the last couple of days, and as I look at it I keep noticing that the dark spot has a familiar curve to it. It looks like this: I’ve been wondering if it’s from the moon that the Chinese got their yin yang. The moon is light in darkness and is itself a mixture of darkness […]
Feliz Dia de los Muertos! Today is All Souls Day, a Catholic holiday known as the Day of the Dead in Mexico. In honor of the holiday, here is The Boy’s painting of a skeleton: I love the glitter. It feels apropos that today is el dia de los muertos because I am almost brain dead at this moment. November is National Novel Writing Month. (See sidebar.) It has been […]
Flabby Brain 