This winter, while I basically hibernated due to cold weather, icy sidewalks, and Covid restrictions, I managed to achieve a momentous personal goal. When the pandemic started in March 2020, most every activity I had engaged in – working in the town clerk’s office, yoga and exercise classes, socializing with old friends and new over coffee or lunch, frequent Amtrak trips to New York City…
I grew up in New Jersey in the 1950s. Halloween costumes that you could buy at the five and ten were pretty basic, like a spooky skeleton or a scary witch. But not all families had the money to buy ready-made costumes. The white bedsheet or tablecloth with holes cut out for eyes saved the day. 🍭 We carried brown paper grocery bags to collect our…
My dishwasher, loaded up and ready to go, wouldn’t start the other night. I had my son tinker with it—he took apart the electronic control panel and concluded after researching on YouTube that it had to be replaced. A friend had given me the dishwasher—a Kenmore—when she remodeled her kitchen. I’ve had the free use of it for seven years. It didn’t owe me a…
An un-birthday is an event that is typically celebrated on any of the 364/365 days on which it is not a person’s birthday. The term was coined by Lewis Carroll in his 1871 novel Through the Looking Glass. I hereby declare today my un-birthday due to a couple of unexpected gifts that uplifted my spirits. I’ve been corresponding with a college student in a penpal program initiated…
July Fourth is the big one — city parades with floats, fireworks and firecrackers, high school bands, barbecues and beaches. Memorial Day, the little sibling, normally warrants a short local parade, flags at automobile dealerships, summer clothing sales at the mall, iffy weather in New England. Like today, overcast, damp, not quite reaching mid-fifties. Not many ventured out for gatherings at home or in the park,…
I awaken to a snow cover that fell overnight, winter’s random swipe at New England. I light a fire to take out the chill in the living room, when I had hoped to work in the garden. The season is upside down from its usual progression. Nothing is normal in the age of the coronavirus unleashed upon us. INNOCENCE I spent the first week of…
This morning I attended religious services at my synagogue. Setting up ZOOM, the New England town common of our times, was easy. I loved the experience of sitting down with my mug of hot coffee in front of the computer, meeting my fellow congregants who had time-and-space traveled to the site. The Rabbi read a modern translation of Psalm 92 that resonated with me. I…
I’ve started a zero tolerance regimen. In my household, we do not leave to go to any public places, not even the supermarket. The only activity that I engage in outside of property boundaries is a long walk daily. There is a beautiful Trustee of Reservations property up the road with nature trails, an apple orchard, and a small children’s zoo with chickens and goats. As…