All Purls. No Swine.
Thursday, December 21 is the first day of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Astronomy notwithstanding, the day of the Winter Solstice is historically recognized in the UK as "Midwinter's Day," just as the Summer Solstice occurs at the time of "Midsummer," never mind that the United States thinks that Summer's just begun. This… Continue reading Ave Atque Vale, Bleak Midwinter 2023!
Revisiting a post from exactly three years ago here. (In the midst of Covid misery.) I was reminded of it by a couple of recent posts on Ricochet. Please subscribe if you have not already. You won't regret it. While I often re-post stuff I've written on Ricochet on this site, as a backup, if… Continue reading Responsible Men, and the Women Who Love Them: A Reminder for Us All
One of the most delightful parts of my weekend is opening my email (yes, really, I know how sad that sounds) on Sunday sometime and discovering Douglas Murray’s latest “Things Worth Remembering” installment for The Free Press. I’m a basic (paid) subscriber to the site, so I get all the links and can read the… Continue reading “Seeing God in a Cat”
Well. In addition to the birth of the "One-Woman Positivity Machine" which I've previously mentioned, your humble correspondent was born 69 years ago today. But, enough about me. What do you think about me? LOL. Someone actually said that to me (not sarcastically or ironically), once. In other news: Virgil, the Roman poet best known… Continue reading What Else Happened on September 20?
I don't know if I'd want to adjudicate a competition for "most quoted man in English literature" between William Shakespeare and Samuel Johnson, but I thought I'd celebrate the 314th anniversary of the great man's birth with a few of his bon-mots. (Or should that be bons-mot? There is a rule about such things, but… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Dr. Johnson!
I see that today--August 29, 2023--is the 154th anniversary of the opening of the Mount Washington Cog Railway. (That means that my great-grandmother, who was also born in August of 1869, would have been 154 years old the day before yesterday.) The railway, in New Hampshire's White Mountains, was the first mountain-climbing rack railway in… Continue reading Memories of Mount Washington, New Hampshire
I was angry with my friend; I told my wrath, my wrath did end. What is the best way to handle disagreements? Between friends? Between foes? William Blake, eccentric and brilliant man, early Romantic Poet, Biblical scholar, anti-establishmentarian, advocate for the Free Love movement (who once asked his devoted wife Catherine if it would be alright… Continue reading William Blake: When Friends Fall Out
Honestly, sometimes these posts just write themselves. There's a report today (I think it originated in the Daily Mail) that Harry and Meghan were swiftly sent packing (see what I did there) when they suggested they should accompany Joe and Jill Biden back to the United States on--you guessed it--Air Force One, after the late… Continue reading Shove Over, POTUS! I Get the Window Seat!
June 24, 2023 would have been my mother’s 95th birthday. She died in September 2014, at the age of 86 after a long struggle with the effects of fronto-temporal dementia. Her death was, in the eyes of her children and others who loved her, a release and a blessing. And for her, peace at last.… Continue reading Music To Bury My Mother By–Redux, 2023 Edition
The late Mr. Right was fond of saying that: "In an age of entitlement, the scarce resource is gratitude." Boy howdy, did he have it nailed. Just as: "In an age of selfishness, the scarce resource is altruism," or: "In an age of narcissism, the scarce resource is kindness and thought for others." I could… Continue reading Gratitude: For Michael