I remember Wallace Stegner speaking to Terri Gross about staying with a woman who was abusive to him because it gave him material with which to write; something about that conversation struck me the wrong way and I quit reading Stegner. I think at the time I was struggling to become a writer myself and I thought honestly that my family and life had provided so much MATERIAL that I was struggling to escape and…
We have tried unsuccessfully to take a family photo since early November and now I think we have to give it up. A friend in Croatia reminds T of a saying about how to raise children, “Be strict with rules, but implement gently.” We are blessed with a sweet son who smiles 99% of the time but 99% of the time when a camera is in his face he frowns or scowls – and he…
I’ll be on my Homepage for Christmas ‘Twas the night before Christmas in Faubourg-St. John And not a creature was stirring, at home or beyond. The Charter school children lay snug in their beds Their dreams of advancing through State Higher Ed Deferred by their governor, the Oxford Rhodes Scholar Who’d slashed education by millions of dollars While stuffing his coffers for loftier aims Such as Vice—or President—next to his name. Down for the count…
Barbra Streisand The Best Gift The best gift That I ever got Didn’t really weigh a lot It didn’t have a ribbon ’round And it sometimes made the terrible sound The best of all it seems to me It wasn’t neath the Christmas tree And yet, I guess I’d have to say That it made all the other presents twice as gay The best gift that I’ve ever known I’d always wanted most to own…
A colleague, mentor and friend of Tatjana’s sent her a book (Little Life, Big India) his daughter had made of her travels in India. She went there for an exchange program in college, and decided to stay another semester because she is so taken by India. She put together a book filled with the intoxicating images of this country that defies any description you would try to place on it. And at the end of…
Remember how we spoke about the traditions that come organically into our lives? Not the forced ones, the real ones. Last night, we went to our dear friend’s for goose dinner, a German tradition in the finest sense. Last year, she had us over and entertained us with a shadow puppet play along with a big fat roast goose and sauerkraut, red cabbage, brussel sprouts, Moroccan Chicken, cous cous, potatoes, and cakes galore. This year…
The President of the United States pressed to repeal the 17-year-old Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and now the Vice President of the United States has said that he expects Gay Marriage is inevitable.
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS… JEWS I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true All I want for Christmas is… Jews I wont ask for much this Christmas I dont even wish for snow Just want a Jew who runs show business Speilberg, Stiller Ari Gold I will make a list and send it Of my choices for St. Nick Seinfeld, Zach Braff and…
I sent a text message to my friend who has lost a lot of her family over the last 18 months – two aunts, a mother and a nephew – and told her I was thinking of my mom and knew she must be too. She wrote back that it’s hard hard hard and sad too. If you know someone who has lost someone they love, even though Christmas might not be meaningful to you,…
I called in my anti anxiety pill prescription today – these are my when I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get the thought wheel to stop pills – I take half and go back to nighty night and thoughtless sleep. The woman at the drugstore said someone here says she’ll bring them to you. “Uh, okay,” I said. A half hour later a friend pulled up and handed me my…