The Holiday Spirit
While Christmas is constantly bemoaned as overly commercial and increasingly homogenous, I still thrill at little peculiarities, personal traditions, and culture clashes when it comes to St. Nick. I’m not the first, of course. May I strongly suggest you listen to David Sedaris muse on Christmas traditions, particularly in the Netherlands. 6 to 8 Black … Continue reading
Thankful
I love family. I love Bean. I love leaves and travel and the sea. I know this. You know this. As I sit in a dark, cold house looking out at a grey, blustery day, I am thankful for the bread in the oven, and the hands that have learned to make it. I am … Continue reading
Night of the Dead
Th older I get the more seasonal my life becomes. The perfect Florida orange in January, the first frosty morning requiring wool socks — it’s these transitions and moments that measure out my years. Witnessing the changing patterns of the planet and the movement of the light mark time in ways more profound than clocks … Continue reading
Endings & Starts
Do you ever wonder what life would be like if things were different? I don’t mean if Hitler hadn’t been born, or if Superman had landed in the USSR instead (though that is a fascinating idea, Mr Millar…); I mean everyday things. Life is built on such a mountain of happenstance. What if I hadn’t … Continue reading
Happy Birthday, America
I stand in my kitchen, stirring fresh lemonade with a wooden spoon. I sing cheesy Americana anthems in my acoustically perfect bathroom. I read State by State and remember the smells of home and the dusty charms of the Midwest. Maybe you make flag-themed foods. Or opt into a pick-up game. … Continue reading
Independence Day: or how to roast a chicken
It’s almost the 4th of July. One of my favourite holidays, and yet another opportunity to subject my ex-pat acquaintance to a good dousing of Americana. This year, I heartily recommend blending two of America’s best culinary clichés (preferably while humming patriotic anthems): barbecuing large quantities of meat, and using an eclectic spice fusion reminiscent … Continue reading
International Women’s Day: Hard as Nails
Yesterday was International Women’s Day. So while I am not into soapboxing most days [for fear I’d never get back off once I’ve begun], I did celebrate a little. How, you ask? By visiting a pop-up Hard as Nails feminist nail bar of course! A quick (and nominally political) manicure, a lot of lovely chat … Continue reading
Red Velvet Cake
We like unconventional traditions in our house. They break things up and add spice to our everyday. Every year for our birthdays, we do two things: One is our birthday getaway which I mentioned already, and the other is cake. I know, I know. Birthday cakes are totally old news. But since we started dating, … Continue reading
Swingsets are for Grown-ups too
The tiniest whiff of spring has been gaining traction in these parts – and for my part, it seems to have come before it’s time. I can’t remember ever being caught off guard by sunlight like this. It’s a little unnerving. Not that I’m complaining, mind you.There is something rather pleasant about a shocking arrival … Continue reading
Monachyle Mhor
My birthday and Bean’s sit in very close proximity. So over the years we have developed birthday traditions which have merged our individual days into more of a week-long celebration. Since neither of is in need of any more stuff, probably ever, we usually go away on a little mini-break. Once, we went to Hadrian’s … Continue reading
Que Sera Sara? 