Marcus Aurelius and the Goose
We were leaving the house for the bookstore, then lunch. Tizi asked, “Do you have a copy of Marcus Aurelius?” “No, why?” “I thought it might be a good gift for the boys.” Safe, for sure. These…
Full textBad New Berries
Ah, strawberries. A June fruit in Michigan. That’s what our trusted fruit man at one of the local farmers markets would always say. I’ve been rushing the season. All week I’ve been seduced by those plump blushing…
Full textA Little Sweetness
“What the heck,” Tizi says. “We might as well have another piece.” One of many reasons I love her. It’s lunch time, when postprandial delights are in order. Usually we finish with three almond cookies each, dunked…
Full textComing Soon
If I had to choose my favorite essay in this collection, today it would probably be “Toothpicks” (tomorrow “Beans and Baroque,” the day after that “Socks Optional”). When I started writing “Toothpicks” I didn’t know I was…
Full textLove and Other Incurable Ailments, a review
Early in Linda Sienkiewicz’s Love and Other Incurable Ailments, the narrator Serenity Tomczyk, confesses, “My heart ached over a stranger named Birdy,” establishing the motive for the decisions she will make and the actions that lie ahead.…
Full textSmart Car, Dumb Driver
“Please sign on the pad,” the rep says. I’m at the Sixt rental car counter at San Francisco International. From here Tizi and I will drive three hours south and east to Mariposa for a family visit.…
Full textEcumenical Meatloaf–from Get Thee to a Bakery
What got my attention was a BuzzFeed post I saw a few days ago. I would put it in the snarky-remarks-Europeans-make-about-Americans category. Lots of snark. So much you need subcategories. What irritates Europeans about Americans who travel…
Full textMindful, Bodyful–from The Enjoy Agenda
I had ulterior motives. For a few years, whenever I had a blood pressure check, as soon as I felt the cuff tighten, I waited for the look. Perched on the examination bed at the doctor’s office,…
Full textPlease, Be Seated
Car Seats: A Love–Hate Story of Safety, Parenting, and Time It’s not uncommon to get the call, from a friend, a relative, a neighbor in need. “Do you, by any chance, have a car seat we can…
Full textThe Perfect Snow Day Recipe: Pasta with Peas
Sometimes the snow is just so beautiful. Today the flakes are big and fat. Not falling. They’re floating. That should be a meteorological term. Let’s go outside this morning and enjoy the snowfloat. The chairs we might…
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