I remember the night I knew something had to change. I was lying in bed, not sleeping, angry at the hand I had been dealt, when I suddenly thought, “Passport.” I knew exactly where it was. I mentally packed a bag, tried to remember how much cash an ATM will allow you to withdraw at […]
My sixteen-year old daughter recently played the national anthem on her electric guitar at the high school boy’s basketball game. Halfway through her performance, her amp accidentally got unplugged (a janky extension cord set-up) and her rendition went suddenly silent. The audience, confused as to why she only played half of the revered song, paused […]
Photo by Andreea Popa on Unsplash “When you turn and look back down the years, you glimpse the ghosts of other lives you might have led. All your houses are haunted by the person you might have been.” ~Hilary Mantel A few weeks ago, I watched The Wizard of Oz for the millionth […]
Ameneurosis: The half forlorn, half escapist ache of a train whistle howling in the distance at night. ~John Koenig, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows Sometimes, very late at night, when the wind blows just right, I will hear a steam-engine whistle as a train crosses the tracks on Flanagan Station Road. To create […]
“There is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.” ~Minnie Aumonier Last week I talked about the cognitive load of pop-up ads and scrolling banners on all sorts of screens. Our unconscious processing takes in each and every distraction, leaving us unable to concentrate […]
I do not watch televised sports, as the experience usually leaves me feeling more exhausted than elated. On New Year’s Day, I remembered why. My husband kept calling me into the living room to watch replays of the Citrus Bowl football game between Iowa and U.K., so I finally just closed my book […]
