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We’re back at the beach for the second time in three weeks. We had planned to finish house cleaning and pre-season chores in early April, but that’s when one of our dogs has to have ACL surgery, as a result of over-exuberant squirrel chasing. We clean the oven and coffeemaker and power wash the deck furniture. We wipe the light fixtures and ceiling fans, vacuum underneath couch cushions and wash windows. A man comes to install impossibly green squares of sod on the part of o

Our new kitchen table and chairs arrived last week. When you make a purchase based on a digital rendering on a screen, you’re never quite sure what you’re getting. But this set is exactly what we wanted— beautifully distressed and swirled wood complete with “wormholes” handcrafted by Amish cabinetmakers in Ohio. Counter-height swivel chairs offer a better backyard view of wild birds at the feeders, deer in the fencerow, and our dogs on squirrel reconnaissance. A young family

Fifteen years ago this week, I was lying in a Manhattan hospital recovering from a back surgery that almost killed me. Yes, the brilliant doctor who straightened my crooked spine and changed my life was white. But the people who got me through the day-to-day did not speak English as their first language. And to a one, they were superb. Julio, was my very own ICU recovery nurse who brought me ice chips and spoke words of comfort and reassurance when I woke up intubated and wit

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I almost didn’t set up the village this year. I bought a lovely candle set from Kirkland’s (dangerous store) that looked great sitting in that same space. Was thinking it might finally be time to retire the Christmas town and go classy instead of tacky. Some of the houses are separating from their foundations or have caved in cardboard walls and tilting chimneys. Aunt Marie’s ceramic Christmas tree occasionally has seizures of flickering lights. And then I heard some slick bl

My husband and I spent time in cemeteries this week. Every year, we place Christmas wreaths on the graves of our loved ones, because, well, it’s a tradition learned in childhood and one that brings us a sense of continuity, of keeping family memories alive. We are good stewards, using artificial wreaths that we retrieve after the holiday and store in our basement the rest of the year. Sadly, we added another wreath for an aunt who passed away in October after a rich and full

Last week, on the way to a wedding in Ohio, we stopped at the Flight 93 Memorial near Stoysville, Pennsylvania. It is a somber place in the middle of nowhere. The weather was crisp and cool with brilliant blue skies, similar to the weather on September 11, 2001. A large boulder placed in a field marks the exact spot of the crash. At the visitor’s center, a number of interactive displays detail the tragic events that occurred that day, forever changing a rural part of our stat

We still own several file cabinets. I know, I know, everything should now be stored electronically, so who needs them? But there’s something to be said for being able to easily find a hard copy of a document without having to pay homage to the almighty gods of internet security. Honestly, I think there’s far more security risk from bad actors infiltrating my laptop (and these days, even the cloud) than from them breaking into our house to root through paper files. Don't get m

Watching young teens waiting on customers at their family’s market stand, carefully counting out change (yes, cash is still king at the farmer’s market) and occasionally glancing back at the adults to make sure they’re doing everything correctly. The beaming face of a neurodiverse young woman getting a manicure at the nail salon. She was thrilled with her green and white nails, showing them off to everyone. Time and again, I have seen the professionals who work there tre

If you have never seen an episode of The Bear, it’s worth getting a trial subscription to Hulu just to watch 3 seasons of this show.  The Bear is about a highly dysfunctional yet somehow loving family in Chicago who runs a small Italian beef sandwich shop. When tragedy strikes, the son who is training to be a gourmet chef in New York City comes home to manage the restaurant. Without giving too much away, chaos ensues. Yes, this show is filled with the F word and there’s lots

At church last night, during one of the most solemn and holy nights of the Christian year, I could hear cars outside with basses thumping at mind-numbing levels. Sirens screamed because someone needed help, or a crime was being committed somewhere. Shouts and laughter from passersby along with traffic noise intruded on the powerful story of salvation being portrayed in front of me. From where I sit in the choir of this church, I often hear the sounds of an urban neighborhood

I’m a never-jazz person. I like to know where my music is going and how it's going to get there, preferably in neatly organized harmonic and rhythmic structures. Obviously, jazz doesn't do that, so it leaves me feeling uncomfortable and at loose ends, which I suppose is the point. Those interminable improvisation solos, despite the artistry of the musicians performing them, make me want to run for the exits. I often say to my husband, I respect the style, but I don’t have to

I watched a segment on the Today Show this morning about a potential breast cancer vaccine. Research and trials are currently underway to develop vaccines that will train the body’s immune system to destroy recurring cancer cells in breast cancer patients and perhaps, eventually, even prevent breast cancer from developing in the first place. The piece was reported by Kristen Dahlgren, a long-time NBC correspondent who is also a breast cancer survivor. She is leaving her job a

I just read a blog post entitled Singing Through the Apocalypse. Yes, I can relate. And I also write little stories and shoot them out into the world, like casting a fishing line into the ocean. I seldom get a bite, but when I do, it’s satisfying to know someone read my story and thought it worthy of attention. Lately I’ve been doing more writing and taking more chances on getting my work published, because, well, I just have to. And, like the older person I am, I go to churc