More than a quarter of a century ago, as I labored to deliver my second son (VBAC, pitocin, sans pain medication), his uncle passed a kidney stone. For a short time, distracted by his own pain, Uncle M’s delivery eclipsed my own. The family didn’t learn about the new Lilly until later in the day … Continue reading My kidney stone baby
Tag: Recommendations
A Demon disciple
I’m in the midst of doing something which I’ve never before done - I’m relistening to an audiobook. A couple of things, I think, make this remarkable. The first is that the audiobook encompasses 21+ hours of listening, a real commitment of time and attention, especially when you multiply it by two. The second is … Continue reading A Demon disciple
Wellfleet, 2024
It had been close to a perfect day. There was a breakfast which was not only tasty af but also kicked two items (a Mac’s fish burger and the dregs of Saturday’s wedding’s artichoke dip) off the leftovers list. Later, yet still in the morning, warm blueberry crumble, with a dollop of plain yogurt, also … Continue reading Wellfleet, 2024
A Beautiful reason to have come home
The first musical I ever saw on Broadway was Grease in 1980. I don’t remember much of the show, but I do recall being mesmerized by the costumes, dancing and singing and, really, isn’t that what a musical is all about? On Sunday afternoon I was in the audience for a production of Beautiful: The … Continue reading A Beautiful reason to have come home
Recent realizations and impressions
We can all agree that travel is life changing, can’t we? Observing, and even participating in, life in locations away from home can be the impetus to expand one’s understanding of humankind and settings beyond our own. When I’m traveling alone, I often find myself taking mental notes of things I find interesting or enlightening. … Continue reading Recent realizations and impressions
Morning walk in Matera
When I was organizing this current trip to Italy, I focused on Puglia. Why? Because it’s a region of Italy that neither N or I had visited before and it was slightly below the radar of most American travelers to Italy. Plus, I had put together a case of mixed wines and I had selected … Continue reading Morning walk in Matera
Lessons learned in (Santa Maria di) Leuca
Getting out of the water for women of all ages is, without fail, accompanied by bathing suit adjustment. It is possible to reserve your preferred chaises at the Lido for your planned return the next day. Just ask. There’s a fairly constant breeze moving the air about. It doesn’t carry the scent of the water … Continue reading Lessons learned in (Santa Maria di) Leuca






