Last night while Cindy was on the phone I grabbed the TV remote and surfed to a program about chickens. It was all about the chicken business, and about people who love these creatures dearly. One Virginia man rhapsodized about the funny noises his backyard flock emits, and how he […]
As I sat in my parent’s backyard in the dappled Sunday sunlight, we talked about what we liked, and what we felt about our lives. I felt lucky to be thinking excitedly about going back to work the next day, and how great it is to love what you do […]
We drove up to Chris and Susan’s farm to celebrate his 57th birthday, and arrived to a porch full of people sipping wine and mingling with dogs and cats. On the grounds of their 17-acre farm were a parade of baby donkeys, a freshly shorn llama and a bevy of […]
I never knew that there were so many different kinds of ice, and that the ice makes a huge difference in how a drink tastes. I learned this last night as I was falling asleep and read an article by Wayne Curtis in the Atlantic. He cites a NYC bar […]
We had a expedition the other day when I had to try and replace my lost cellphone. Amazingly, on a 1/4 mile stretch of West Springfield road there are stores for all four major cellphone companies, so it was easy for us to shop and compare. Each has its own […]
I have been enveloped in dreams about Saudi Arabia since I began reading this compelling book about an American woman doctor who lived there. I just finished a chapter in which the dreaded Mutawaeen are tipped off to a bunch of doctors and westerners having a dinner at a local […]
Now it’s crunch time. It’s that moment when it can go either way…I’m at the precipice, deciding about how I will continue this morning routine. I’m in the bathrobe, on the laptop, and Cindy is busy getting dressed. We’ve had our coffee, I’m draining my second cup. So do I […]
Last night we went to a party in a Holyoke neighborhood where there were eight dogs in attendance. It was a birthday party for a Pomerian-mix named Pinot, and among the friends were a giant Great Dane named Willow and assorted Bichon Frise and little lapdogs. One tiny white dog […]
Last night I went out in search of fellowship at a local bar, but ended up talking to the bartenders. One 25-year-old named Rachel was hugging her fellow employees as she was leaving for a big trip in a few weeks, and ending her job at the bar. “Where are […]
It’s another gray rainy day, and for many of us that is just one day too long without sun. Ugh, it feels like we’re living in Seattle. Despite how cool the people are, how great the coffee is, and how wonderful it must be to shop at Pike’s Market, forget […]
I’ve managed to split my time in almost exactly half today—beginning at 6:30 am at the cafe, helping Sara open up and minding the register, and ending publishing my article about Beaumont Texas at 5:45 pm. Today we published an article by Elizabeth Bagley about the San Juan Islands in […]
Reuters reports today that in France, prisoners are the new athletes who are racing on bikes. NANTES, France (Reuters) – Close to 200 prisoners will cycle around France next month, watched by scores of guards on bicycles, in the first penal version of the Tour de France, authorities said Monday. […]