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”
Tag Archives: personal
To All the Good Doctors
A doctor once called meAfter an afternoon of pokes and prods He said”When we dig we find stuff.”He said”Life is going to be hard for you.”He said”It is what it is.”Like he was talking about the weather reportOr what detour to take home that dayBecause of all the construction But his way is not myContinueContinue reading “To All the Good Doctors”
Words, Words, Words: October Reads
For those looking for suggestions on your next literary escape, I’ve had another fairly good month. I kicked things off with a classic myth transported into the 1960s, saturated with haunting prose and deliberate conflation of which god(dess) and hero(ine) was who, and when, and how. John Updike’s “The Centaur” turned my brain into aContinueContinue reading “Words, Words, Words: October Reads”
Livin’ On a Prayer
One of my strongest and earliest memories is of a prayer. As a Catholic family, one of our rituals at the end of each day was to wrap up bedtime prep with an old standard, a rhyme even non-Christians of a certain age could likely recite along with me: “Now I lay me down toContinueContinue reading “Livin’ On a Prayer”
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”
In the Depth of Winter
January is the month for dreaming.Jean Hersey I don’t have as many adventures to share from this past month, as most of them took place in my head. Overall, it was a rich and fulfilling period of getting back into the rhythm of being a legal professional, navigating Michigan snow and ice, and saturating myselfContinueContinue reading “In the Depth of Winter”
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”
A Few More Petals
‘O Tiger-lily,’ said Alice… ‘I wish you could talk!’ ‘We can talk,’ said the Tiger-lily: ‘when there’s anybody worth talking to.’~ Lewis Carroll, “Through The Looking Glass” So many lovely things happened that I wanted to share in my newsletter-esque post about December that I overlooked one of the brightest lights of the month –ContinueContinue reading “A Few More Petals”
Roses in December
It was that impossible thing: happiness that does not wilt to reveal the thin shoots of some new desire rising from within it.George Saunders, “Tenth Of December” Another month recap in pictures, with a postscript on other stuff: The month began as it always begins, with Christmas movies in the background whilst stringing (aka copiouslyContinueContinue reading “Roses in December”
Raynaud’s Phenomenon
I stopped knocking when I saw the blood Had drained out of me, againPast my knucklesColor faded to whiteMy fingers go numb in the coldSo I often miss when I’ve been outsideA little too long I plunge my hands into my pocketsThe pain will come soon (White hot, they say, with almost no hint ofContinueContinue reading “Raynaud’s Phenomenon”
Muttering Retreats 