Musings – Muttering Retreats

Echoes

The restaurant is not crowded. Somehow our table gets assigned two waitstaff, such that every twenty minutes or so, we are attended to twice. “How is everything tasting?” a young server brightly inquires. “Good,” we say. ” Thanks.” Then ten seconds later, not to be outdone by her predecessor, an industrious, older woman inserts herself:ContinueContinue reading “Echoes”

Prufrock Revisited

“All he wanted was more time with us, and he tried everything he could to get it. He tried so hard. But it wasn’t enough. It’s never enough.” ~ from the eulogy at a friend’s celebration of life today Hello, again, you shape-shifter, you. You prism casting shadow puppets on the walls of my wanderings.ContinueContinue reading “Prufrock Revisited”

Personal Bests: The 2024 Edition

I’ve been putting a few of these on BlueSky in preparation for this post, so for those who follow me there, some of this will be old news. Best New-To-Me Film: “The BikeRiders” written and directed by Jeff Nichols Best New-To-Me TV Show: “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+ Best Morning Soundtrack: “Best of Bach” SpotifyContinueContinue reading “Personal Bests: The 2024 Edition”

So Bad It’s Bad

One of my favorite things to consume is film, followed closely by intelligent reviews of film. I grew up watching Siskel and Ebert, and while I have strong memories of agreeing more with Siskel on what to go see, there was something about Ebert that drew me in. He was often unreasonable and frequently arrogant,ContinueContinue reading “So Bad It’s Bad”

Then There Was October

“October is a symphony of permanence and change.” Bonaro W. Overstreet Music, music, more music, theatre, and more theatre. It’s a hard-knock life. I was caught off-guard in the most wonderful way to discover that my favorite keys player was booked for our company party at Sexy Steak in Detroit. Get thee to a JarrodContinueContinue reading “Then There Was October”

Now Reading: A Gentleman in Moscow

“Alexander Rostov was neither scientist nor sage, but at the age of sixty-four he was wise enough to know that life does not proceed by leaps and bounds. It unfolds. At any given moment, it is the manifestation of a thousand transitions. Our faculties wax and wane, our experiences accumulate, and our opinions evolve –ContinueContinue reading “Now Reading: A Gentleman in Moscow”

The Last Season

Autumn is a complicated time of year, in my experience. It can be absolutely glorious, without question. It can also be unrelenting, aggressive, and brutal. You never quite know what you’re going to get, and when, with the fall. Even the beauty sneaks up on you — not many trees are changing their colors yet,ContinueContinue reading “The Last Season”

The Book of Love

25 years ago I married the man I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. 15 years ago I realized that I didn’t want that life, and that I could do something about it. 10 years ago I had another partner. We lived together for years. We even got engaged. 5 yearsContinueContinue reading “The Book of Love”

In Remembrance

Dad and I had the best talks. Both of us philosophical and at times brooding in nature, we would share our deepest thoughts and fears, and try to make some sense of it all. At our best, we’d come up with some pithy maxims. More often they were simply, observations — observations that we hopedContinueContinue reading “In Remembrance”

Spring 2024 Observations

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte – Georges Seurat I miss my dad. I miss him a little less when I do things that he loved to do with me. It’s like a mini-seance, when I do those things. Children are a mirror. Teenagers are a funhouse mirror. An object inContinueContinue reading “Spring 2024 Observations”