A View from My Seventies

9 Jun at 3:36 pm

America the Majestic, and Other Travel Tales

I began writing these notes perched beside Bill in our bedroom on Amtrak’s Empire Builder--San Francisco to Chicago–just having rolled out of Havre, Montana. To explain: granddaughter (son David’s) Kate was graduating from Columbia University’s School of Social Work with…

20 May at 5:34 pm

A Ginger Cake of Boundless Virtues

From the Past, In the Kitchen, at the Table

Dear Readers, I posted this in spring of 2025 … thinking about Easter. Here I am thinking of it again, a cake for all celebrations … Bake it and you’ll agree! As a matter of fact, it’s the ideal cake…

12 May at 8:05 pm

“Some Rose!!!”

Around and About, What I Find Fascinating

There is an extraordinary rose bush bordering a garden in our neighborhood—I pass it every time we go out—that drives me crazy. It is in tree form—one shoulder-high stalk exploding in a voluptuous armload of buttery-gold-apricot roses as ripe as…

26 Apr at 6:29 pm

“Don’t look back…something might be gaining on you…”

From the Past, Musings

Cleaning up my study (yes, really and truly) I opened a notebook I’ve kept for ages, but haven’t opened for ages. There tucked in front was a treasured clipping from forty-four years ago. Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige began in Negro…

16 Apr at 9:42 pm

Brush It Off!

Musings

Here’s a brilliant insight I just learned, simple, direct, pain-lightening. I’ll begin with the context: I am the most fortunate woman on the planet. I have a heavenly husband who loves and sustains me. I have a wealth of children,…

9 Apr at 10:25 pm

Bill at 96 and Michael Connelly

Musings, Update

Bill at 96 and Michael Connelly Last Monday (sixth of April) we celebrated a glorious landmark in the family: my darling husband’s NINETY-SIXTH BIRTHDAY! Wowzer. As Bill mentioned a few times (rather in awe), that means he has lived ninety-six…

27 Mar at 3:19 pm

Panini for Lunch Guests! Straordinario~

In the Kitchen, at the Table, Musings

When we have a friend coming for lunch, that morning Bill will sweetly inquire, “Will you be making those great sandwiches I hope?” I will. Make panini! Some years ago—maybe twenty—on the radio I heard an interview with Candace Bergen…Talking…

20 Mar at 3:02 pm

“The Invisible Hand” Now In The Big World…

Musings, Update

So we finished—I mean, after two years (first date of files “Characters” and “Story” is April 14, 2024) and three passes of editing—our tragi-comic novel, The Invisible Hand… Um, I emailed it to the editor/friend who generously asked to see…

11 Mar at 7:06 pm

Beautiful Indonesian Soup with Chinese Cabbage (Ideal for Vegans)

In the Kitchen, at the Table, Musings

Anticipating a special friend coming for lunch—a Vegan–but preoccupied working on THE LAST CHAPTERS of our novel…what to make him? I found a soup in my Kitchen Garden Cookbook that looked possible. Our guest’s wife is Japanese so clearly Asian…

1 Mar at 6:43 pm

Day in the Life…

Doing My Best, Musings

As this collection is meant to represent what it’s like being ninety, today I’m adding a short but painful piece. My second son, Benjamin and his wife, Ella, have moved to Israel…Ella was born there, and the two live in…