" ... when the world is mud-luscious ... when the world is puddle-wonderful..." E.E. Cummings, American poet There are still patches of dirt-speckled snow on the ground here and there. There will probably be a fresh layer or two to come. But, winter's grip is broken in this part of Appalachia. It's true. Birds are whoop-de-doing… Continue reading Appalachian spring
Category: family life
At home with winter
I have pretty boots, but these are the ones that get the job done. I will keep them until they disintegrate. Come winter, a war-weary towel lines a spot in the dining room that lies close enough to the front door to be practical but keeps the snowy boots that gather there out of sight.… Continue reading At home with winter
First solo Thanksgiving dinner? Here’s how to pull it off without losing your mind or temper!
Just you and the dog this year? Don't hide from the challenge. You can still eat well! "Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence." Erma Bombeck, American humor writer A recent survey suggested that – because of various COVID restrictions --… Continue reading First solo Thanksgiving dinner? Here’s how to pull it off without losing your mind or temper!
… on little cat feet
“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.” Robert A. Heinlein, American sci-fi author Cats are a mystery to me. Why this is so is less difficult to assess. Once, in the 1930s, a cat sunk its claws into my grandmother's hosiery and… Continue reading … on little cat feet
A house in order
“I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.” Gaston Bachelard, French philosopher Our home sits in a neighborhood in which the average age of dwellings is about 100 years. People in some places of the world might not think a thing of such… Continue reading A house in order