So, it’s still January. We know that because last week we had a day that started out at 6 degrees — whose temperature rose to a high of 13. We’ve put the holidays away. The tree needles are out of the carpet in the living room. Hopefully friends and family have been thanked for gifts [...]
January is here. On the surface, there’s not much to recommend the first month of the year, except Heather’s and Rodney’s birthdays. No glitzy holidays. It’s cold and windy. Daylight’s still at a premium. Everyone’s still pudgy from Christmas and New Year’s. I can’t think of anything much worse — unless it’s February. No, I [...]
There’s a humorous e-mail that occasionally pops up in my inbox. It offers a tongue-in-cheek comparison of advice supposedly given by Martha Stewart, guru of all things domestic, and Maxine, the irreverent cartoon character created for Hallmark by John Wagner in 1986. Most women are a combination of the two opposite types. However, I’m firmly [...]
Happy New Year. Jackson the Hound Dog and I were the first downstairs on Tuesday. Thus we began the first day of 2013 together — just like most days in 2012. Our early mornings are quiet. I feed Jackson, then read the paper while he sleeps off breakfast at my feet. Jackson’s not a totally [...]
I like the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s a time to rest and regroup — sleep in a little, finish up projects at home and at the office, return that shirt that’s a size too small and totally the wrong color. Most of us celebrate New Year’s Eve in some fashion — with [...]
America is known as a “melting pot” for good reason. Over the centuries, people from all the countries of the world have settled here, looking for a different way of life. They’ve brought with them all sorts of traditions — styles of clothing, types of government, foods they like to eat. I’ve had two stories [...]
Imagine you’re walking into a holiday party. Your invitation came a month ago — you’ve really been looking forward to it. The house is lighted and decorated for the season. You remove your coat and greet your hostess, then move into the dining room, where a mouth-watering buffet is displayed. Can you picture it? What’s [...]
Hanukkah is upon us — can Christmas be far behind? It’s the last month of the year, when every week zips by faster than the one before. Like a freight train with no brakes, the days go by in a blur. There’s baking and candy making to be done, lists to make and items to [...]
