I always get a bit melancholy at this time of year. Melancholy, for those born in this century, is a feeling of unexplained sadness. The word comes from the Latin phrase meaning “black bile,” an excess of which was once believed to cause depression. I don’t know about all that, but I do know the melancholia I feel on this[…]
On Unicorns and Rainbows…
“It’s not all unicorns and rainbows,” someone says to point out that whatever they are going through isn’t all fun and games and they shouldn’t expect it to be. Whatever it is might be college, a job, or raising kids or just a random Tuesday afternoon. The point being, we have to live in reality and not be all “woo[…]
On July 4th Traditions…
Today, like most of the people in our community, we celebrated our nation’s independence from England by eating large quantities of mayonnaise based food and sitting around the swimming pool. We didn’t get in the pool, but just sat around it and glanced at it from time to time. The swimming pool is more like the television in the living[…]
On Turning 60 Part I…
I turned 60 years old this month. I’m having a hard time getting my brain around this. How the heck did I get here? I was just 40 about a month and a half ago. I still remember puberty, but now require my Waze app to go places I’ve been dozens of times. A colleague referred to me as “middle[…]
On a Winter Rest…
Today is December 21, Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. It will be Christmas in just a couple of days. Coming off open heart surgery in late September, I promised myself two things about Christmas 2023. First, I would not overdo it. I would not stress about gifts or decorating or baking and canning. I would do what[…]
On the Manners in Nature…
We are well into fall here at Sugarberry Slope, and deep winter is not far away. While spring, summer and early fall provide a cornucopia of food for the wide variety of critters that call Sugarberry home, I am compelled to supplement in late fall and winter. Fruit past its prime, last week’s seeded bread, the discarded parts of vegetables[…]
On Sisters …
Two of my top five favorite writers are Nora and Delia Ephron.[i] Nora and Delia are sisters who (along with the younger Amy and Hallie) all grew up to become professional writers. There was never any question that they would be writers. Their parents were successful screenwriters, and it was their mother who set all four girls on the path[…]
On My Heart (A Series)… A Thankful Heart
It is Thanksgiving 2023. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There are no gifts to buy, and not really any decorating to do. Sure, some over achievers like to put up fall themed decorations, autumn colors, some pumpkins, a scare crow or a hay bale or two, but those items can usually be carried over from September. Thanksgiving is about counting[…]
On Another Mother’s Day…
In early March, I found myself at Tractor Supply, a chain of stores that sells things to people who have tractors or secretly want to. There is everything there from fencing to feed. In the spring, they have flowers and vegetables for sale. Charles had a coupon for a percentage off a purchase of $50, and he was short a[…]
On Picking Blackberries
I spent some time picking blackberries this weekend, a favorite and also least favorite summer activity. It is my experience that no matter how I plan, no matter what time of the morning or evening, the temperature rises above 100 degrees the moment I get within picking distance of a blackberry patch. I suspect blackberries have their own environment where[…]