The sun is hiding today. Taking a rest from all those brilliant days and exquisite sunsets we had through the holidays. I peeked outside at the mauve hellebores barely visible in the fog before scurrying back inside to pick up a new book someone thought I’d like for Christmas or an old favorite that nobody [...]
When I was a kid the biggest event of the summer happened one town down the line on July 24th. Known as “Pioneer Day” or, more pragmatically, “The 24th,” this county-wide celebration commemorated the day that Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley after leading his people across the plains. On that fateful July 24 [...]
Last Friday I put together my Friday Things post and stepped away from my desk to meet a friend for lunch. Twenty minutes later I was hit by a car as I was crossing the street to meet her. Yes, I was in the crosswalk. And no, I hadn’t looked both ways before crossing. I [...]
Over the summer I’ve been re-reading Wallace Stegner’s “Angle of Repose” and thinking how much more I bring to this reading now than I did when I read it in my 20s. Today I came across this quote near the end of the novel— “For several weeks now I have had the sense of something [...]
Reading this essay about a woman asking for a better table when given a crummy one made me think about a recent failed attempt at being more forceful. Claire was in town from the frigid East and wanted to spend every minute of the weekend out in the sun. So we drove over to Point [...]
There are so many awards shows now it’s hard to keep up with all the fashion statements. But I figure celebrity stylists save their best for last, so I paid extra attention to who wore what on last night’s Oscar telecast. Here are some of my favorites: The Blue Belles Sandra Bullock (Alexander McQueen) in [...]
After reading Jackson Lander’s chilling account of being bit by a black widow spider, I’m cautiously eyeing the fall crop of spider webs around my yard. Though Landers writes that black widows are notoriously shy and likely to stay clear unless threatened, he was still caught unawares when he stepped into a water shoe to [...]
Judging by the size of this year’s September Issue, it looks like the recovery is well underway.
For fun the past few months I’ve been taking e-courses from British photographer and blogger Susannah Conway. Prior to signing up for Susannah’s courses I had no idea that people often photograph their feet. Susannah says it’s to show where we are in the world—not just our extensive shoe wardrobes or the state of our [...]
While in D.C. recently I swung by the Newseum and saw plenty of memorable images, but the one I’m recalling on this warm summer day comes from old footage of the JFK clan cavorting in a pool. Surprisingly, Jackie frolics in a petaled bathing cap much like the one I saw my mother wear in [...]
