This week, I planned to share the summer swaps from those I was paired with for the seasonal poetry exchange organized by the incredible Tabitha Yeatts. I will do so, but I am short one. I just mailed my last swap out and have yet to receive my last swap, too. So, that one will…
Many of you warned me about a “crash” following our return home after caring for my dad and traveling to the Caribbean. I figured out that we’ve been away from home for 19 weeks between last June (2024) and mid-March. No wonder we’re tired! Luckily, I regret none of the time away. But this week,…
I cannot believe that it’s already Friday. The week went fast as most holiday week’s do. We are in New York at my Dad’s. Christmas has come and gone and I cannot say that I was sorry to see it go. It’s the first year since becoming a parent 30 years ago, that I’ve ever…
Some years ago at this time of year, I posted a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and received some admonition about choosing it. Those criticisms were from people who misinterpreted the poem at face value and thought the poet was a racist. He was, in fact, an abolitionist who put his views into poetry. The…
A diary-style post Whew! It’s been a week! June itself has whizzed by, creating a “what happened to that month” feeling. I decided to record what happened in a diary-style post today. Earlier this month On June 8th I flew to New York to see my Dad. Many of you read about that visit. I…
My sister-in-law gifted me this poetry book for Christmas. She bought it in Italy when she was there with our son in October. The book has poems in both English and Italian – side by side inside. She knows I’ve been trying to learn Italian using various apps. I’m currently using Babble now. I used Duolingo…
My sister-in-law gave us a pasta-making attachment for our kitchen aide mixer for Christmas. It was a complete gift including a pasta-making cookbook, drying rack, ravioli forms, and three attachments for the mixer. Last Wednesday, we perused the cookbook and decided on an egg-based ravioli filled with a cheese and basil mixture. The basil was…
Usually, I am unaffected by a celebrity’s death. I think it’s because I do not have a personal relationship with them. I feel sad but have little sense of loss for myself, more loss for the world in which they belonged, especially when the person who died made valuable contributions. But, in the passage of…
Music played a large part in my early life. As elementary students, we were introduced to Orf instruments in third grade, playing wooden xylophones and more as part of our music class. Choosing an instrument came in fourth grade, and I chose the flute, mostly due to my diminutive size. Due to the instruction on…
For the last few days, I’ve been in a slump. It’s really the first slump I can recall during the pandemic. Mostly, my “slumpiness” revolved around feelings about my own self worth and feeling undervalued. But, today, several things have happened to restore my sense of being valued by others. I realized that I do…