Leaving the nest

I often complain that I hate owning a house because of the unpredictable responsibilities that come with a 115 year-old property. I imagine the freedom I’d feel without the constant worrying about the correct prioritizing of maintenance and improvements and try to decide where else I might live… But, for now (and the last 30+ … Continue reading Leaving the nest

Declaring (personal) independence

In 1996, I was settling into the home we had recently purchased, preparing to start a new permanent professional position and getting ready to start a family. Having all three of those major life milestones occur within a six month window of time, reflectively, seems crazy but, at the time, I was completely unfazed to … Continue reading Declaring (personal) independence

The genes of my current favorite jeans

May’s trip to Maine gave me a new and sincere appreciation for Maine, a state I had previously considered to be too far, for too little. Additionally, I received a more tangible item from our quickish stop in the outlets in Freeport: a new pair of Levi’s. This new edition of a classic cut, the … Continue reading The genes of my current favorite jeans

Descended from a king, traveling with a prince

One of the highlights of last month’s visit to Ireland was a Sunday afternoon gathering of family in Dublin. If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know the story of my making contact with my father’s family for the first time in 1989 when I was 22 years old. If you … Continue reading Descended from a king, traveling with a prince

Quelle surprise!

The time I spent recently in Montreal was fundamentally sans agenda. Yes, there were a couple of jazz shows for which I had tickets, but we didn’t have as much as a single reservation for dining or specific plans for the majority of the roughly 72 hours we were in Canada. Being wide open leaves … Continue reading Quelle surprise!

Thankful for…

Yoga classes in dim light that leave me feeling peacefully strong. An Asian riffed soup with baby bok choy, mushrooms, scallions and chicken meatballs. A few nights ahead in Montreal. Two planned evenings of live jazz, a yoga studio, two bakeries, and a bagel place, all marked on my Google map of Montreal. Freshly baked … Continue reading Thankful for…

Ann Petry’s The Street

Ever since Barbra Streisand introduced me to the pleasures of listening to audiobooks, I’ve been hooked. Generally, I seek out and borrow specific books, like my comprehensive read through/listen to all available books by Barbara Kingsolver or my recent focus upon Ann Patchett’s work. Sometimes, though, my searches are more broad. I set the filters … Continue reading Ann Petry’s The Street