Category Archives: nothing special

December 7th, 1941. November 22, 1963. September 11, 2001. January 6, 2021. These days raise questions: Where were you when you heard about Pearl Harbor? What were you doing when you heard Kennedy had been shot? Who told you about … Continue reading →

The Russians have won. We have turned into a banana republic.

You often hear “social conservatives” decry what they see as an infringement on their right to free speech. They claim that being called a bigot for espousing racist or homophonic or sexist speech has a chilling effect on the expression … Continue reading →

My sister the Trump supporter texted me last night. We didn’t talk politics; instead we talked about my nieces and how my grand-nephew was entering first grade and how that seemed absolutely impossible and how he looked like the Red-Headed … Continue reading →

I don’t know what I could say that others have not said better. I will miss her, and her pragmatic support for women and LGBT+ rights. (She performed the first same-sex marriage at the Supreme Court.) She fought the good … Continue reading →

Happy Birthday to the Red-Headed Menace! I can’t believe you’re all grown up.

I have been struggling with my feelings about several of my relatives. I feel they are good people, who have been there for me when I needed me. They are against the death penalty. They have never expressed racist comments … Continue reading →

I will be repeating this several times before the election: Make sure your registration is up to date NOW. If there are problems, or if you have changed your name, address, or party affiliation since you last registered, reregister ASAP. … Continue reading →

Sometimes, when everything is going to hell, it’s important to remember what good there is in your life. So, in more or less random order… Things are still terrible, but I think I feel a little better

I can’t really identify the last straw. Maybe it was the Administration deciding to have hospitals send COVID-19 data to HHS instead of the CDC. Maybe it was the threats leveled at schools who don’t physically open in the fall. … Continue reading →

In 2017, I spent four days in a Spanish hospital, laid low by pneumonia (my second bout in three years — one of the reasons that my family will not let me go to the grocery store). When I got … Continue reading →

I need to stop reading Facebook. It’s bad for my blood pressure. It’s not my friends but sadly some of their friends which cause me such heartburn. Usually these days it’s about wearing masks. Some of my friends have friends … Continue reading →

I have not written for quite a while. Something drowns my thoughts, these days. I grieve our nation — the pandemic of COVID-19, the epidemic of Blacks dying at the hands of the police. The refusal of the Administration to … Continue reading →

I went to the orthopedist the morning, where they took x-rays. I went to the dentist this afternoon, where they took more (and panoramic) x-rays. I looked at the pictures and was struck again how beautiful x-rays are. The beautiful … Continue reading →

I will not be writing here about the current protests*, other than possibly the photo-op at St. John’s, and that only because I have identified as Episcopalian. (Short version: by forcing peaceful protesters — and clergy — off of a … Continue reading →

In the last few weeks, in addition to more regular fare (i.e. things we normally make), I have had: Homemade sourdough English muffins Homemade sourdough bread bowls for soup Crepes: savory buckwheat and white bananas foster sweet crepes Homemade white … Continue reading →

Most of us have songs that creep around the borders of our psyche. Usually, they are songs associated with an event, or a person, or a place. I have a bunch of them, ranging from life events (“I Miss the … Continue reading →

Things are beginning to open up in a lot of the country. Not in my neck of the woods — or at least not by much. I’m okay with this, because I think opening up will cause a spike in … Continue reading →

During quarantine, I have started an “Art of the Day” project on my Facebook. I think people enjoy it, and it makes me happy. I find myself spending a lot of time trawling through museum websites to get art. My … Continue reading →

Every parent who whines about their kids being out of school, who posts cutesy videos on YouTube about how hard it is to get by without a lot of wine…. Better damn well be working for better pay for teachers … Continue reading →