I forget when we first heard about Gogol Bordello, a Ukrainian/Russian group that gathered its first few members at a Vermont Russian wedding in 1998. Check out their crazy history here. We liked the music in the movie Everything is Illuminated, but it wasn’t until some Russian friends of ours told us that the lead […]
Mother’s Plunge: Retreat and Renewal
Okay, here’s an opportunity for all you exhausted and depleted mothers out there (isn’t that all of us?). I’m disappointed I can’t take advantage of it, but I thought I should tell you about it, in case you can. Karen Maezen Miller is holding a one-day Mother’s Retreat in Sierra Madre, California. Even though she’s […]
Olive Kitteridge
Elizabeth Strout won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction this year, for her loosely related short story collection called Olive Kitteridge. The book is one of the best I’ve read for character study. Each story either brushes up against Olive–the wife of a loving husband, a mother of a stubborn boy, and seventh-grade teacher in town–or […]
Fabric That Will Knock Your Socks Off
Every once in a while, I’ll share some beauty with you. You don’t have to be a sewer, knitter, or crafter to enjoy. Sometimes it’s just about looking and feeling. As my husband says, “With my art, I want there to be a feeling to it. What do you feel?” So, here’s Amy Butler’s fabric […]
Friday Evening Bonfire
Well, we had an exquisite time last night, eating and drinking and laughing with friends (oh yes, and repeating ad nauseam–“How do you say that? Yes, please?” “No, honey, why don’t you just leave that on the ground.” And “You can go up to the house to go to the bathroom, or just drop your […]