Of all the Christmas trees I’ve decorated, I only remember one. The most beautiful one. I was single, and working at my first newspaper job. I lived alone in a darling apartment, the upper floor of a former carriage house behind a very grand house on Mahoning Avenue. Depression hovered. I was learning to take care … read more The invisible tree
Tag: 1981
Blue to you
Do these flowers look blue to you? Well, I don’t think so. It’s purple to me. My guidebook calls it “blue.” But then, my guidebook also calls violets “blue.” Um, hello? “Violet” is a color as well as a plant name, and it’s not a synonym for any other color except purple. Here they are in the … read more Blue to you
Message received, Harry
I miss Harry Golden. Even though he’s been dead for 35 years and I never met him. Harry’s been on my mind a lot lately. My longtime friend Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett wrote the definitive biography of Golden (1903-1981), Carolina Israelite: How Harry Golden Made Us Care About Jews, the South, and Civil Rights, published last … read more Message received, Harry
Three little phoebes
In the locker room yesterday, I found a 1981 penny. After I started this project, I came to believe that when someone who has died wants to send you a message, they put a penny in your path. I couldn’t remember who had died in 1981, so I had to look it up. Two names jumped … read more Three little phoebes
Margaret, grieving
Gerard Manley Hopkins said it best in Spring and Fall: To a young child: Márgarét, áre you gríeving Over Goldengrove unleaving? …It ís the blight man was born for, It is Margaret you mourn for. These words come to my mind so often, but most of all now. This weekend, autumn is at its peak. The … read more Margaret, grieving
Day 12: Perfection
It’s not often you can say you had a truly perfect day. But I did. First of all: It began after eight solid hours of unbroken sleep, with Tom at my side. Wow, what a treat! We lounged around for several hours, drinking coffee, reading and talking, and it made me glad (again) that I … read more Day 12: Perfection