I usually call my mother on Sunday evening, but the Friday before Labor Day weekend and before her birthday, she called to say that her phone wasn’t charging, she couldn’t figure out why, and that it might die before she could get to the phone store. The store was far and it was a holiday … Continue reading IT support for grandma
Category: time
time is not on my side: college edition
Ours is a family that tends to hold on to things. The kids haven’t played with their Legos in over five years, but there’s an entire room in the basement dedicated to their thousands of pieces, along with their Playmobil sets and other toys. My husband and I don’t insist that they get rid of … Continue reading time is not on my side: college edition
class of 1991
We talked about caring for aging parents or losing a parent, about sending our kids off to college or becoming grandparents for the first time. We talked about who we’re still in touch with and why so-and-so couldn’t make it this time. We noted what had changed on campus since the last time we were … Continue reading class of 1991
Hamnet, or the art of letting go
[Warning: spoilers ahead!] My husband and I finally watched Hamnet, the film adaptation of the novel of the same name, and one of the last of the Oscar-nominated movies on our watchlist. I’d read the book a couple of years ago, so I felt prepared for the tragedy at the center of the story; but … Continue reading Hamnet, or the art of letting go
some books I read this year
Recently, I decided to try to read more and doom scroll less, to squeeze in an extra book in between the monthly selections for my book club, without which I would read far fewer books. I have many unread and half read books on my shelf, titles listed on my Notes app or marked “want … Continue reading some books I read this year
some movies I watched over thanksgiving break
It was a truly leisurely break. No travel, no guests, just the four of us sleeping in, eating good food, socializing a little bit. The weather turned cold, which further encouraged my indoor cat tendencies. I made good progress on my always growing pile of New Yorkers, read articles online, ate many snacks, went to … Continue reading some movies I watched over thanksgiving break
goodbye, friend
At first the words confused me. I had glanced at my phone as we were waiting to pay and leave the restaurant, and wondered why my friend Dave was posting about himself in the third person until the meaning of the words sank in: “great sadness,” “passing of my brother…” “Oh, no” I blurted out. … Continue reading goodbye, friend
I will always miss L.A.
After college, I spent most of the ‘90s in California, eight years in Southern California, five of them in Los Angeles. I’ve only been back a handful of times in the past 25 years since my husband and I left to come back east for jobs in 2000. The photographs and videos of the wild … Continue reading I will always miss L.A.
the language of birds and comparative death studies
What does the natural world care about elections and other human activities that feel so consequential to us? Two recent New Yorker articles about animals captivated me; they hit on similar themes that, each in their own way, remind us that we are not as special as we like to think. In “Pecking Order: Language … Continue reading the language of birds and comparative death studies
watching the detectives
After we finished the sitcom “Kim’s Convenience,” my 12-yo and I started watching “Brooklyn 99,” which first aired in 2013. Looking for another show we could enjoy together, I suggested it not only because I remember hearing good reviews, but because I clicked on a clip of the show’s final episode that appeared in my … Continue reading watching the detectives
Contrary Frog 