“I know they say you can’t go home again.” That is true figuratively but not literally. I did “go home again” this summer to visit my parents. I slept in my childhood bedroom. I took the photo above, of the birdhouse light switch cover. That little birdie did not fly out of the nest. He […]
Family
Mommiavelli
Overheard in my house this summer: Moi: Honey, why don’t you make chili tonight? DH: OK! Moi: But not too much, OK? Don’t make a full two gallon pot. We will just have to throw it out. DH: Moi: Please do not make too much. DH: Moi: There better be at least 2 inches of […]
Baby Bunny
I’m feeling more like Mama Bunny than like Mama Bear this week. p.s. Baby Bunny did NOT give permission for this post.
Playlist for Hubby’s Memorial
Pillow talk, 2018 version: Dear Husband (DH) (and yes, he is still in doghouse) and I were lying in bed, playing each other songs from our devices. I was sharing my enthusiasm for f-u songs. That made him a little nervous, but I assured him it was nothing personal. He reminded me of his wishes […]
Happiness
My thoughts turn to butterflies on the first day of summer. I love this quote. Happiness can be elusive. A corollary, from All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood, by Jennifer Senior: It is unrealistic…to assume that if all goes well in a child’s life, he or she will be happy. Not […]
What is Your Least Favorite Fruit?
At an appointment when Ted was about five years old, I slipped the pediatrician a note asking him to speak about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. I needed an ally. The doctor broached the topic conversationally. “Ted,” he said, “what is a fruit or vegetable that you really don’t like?” Silence. I was […]
Anniversary of Motherhood
Today is my anniversary of motherhood, otherwise known as my older child’s birthday. I’ve been thinking a lot about parenthood recently. The following warning has already been delivered to the relevant people: You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved […]
A Parent’s Job: Parents’ and a Count’s Thoughts
Fifteen years ago, I attended my mother’s retirement party. For thirty years, my mother worked in various staff roles at a large public university. She was a generous mentor to many junior colleagues, and she was a trusted confidante to academic administrators. At the party, people had the chance to say a few words about […]
What’s Important to You is Important to Me. That’s Love.
A childhood friend posted a 40-minute video of a rebbetzin giving a public lecture about love. Let’s break down that sentence. Childhood friend = good. 40-minute video = not good! rebbetzin = what is that? The friend is an Orthodox Jew. Rebbetzin sounds religious. This is NOT going to be for me. public lecture = […]
Peggy Noonan’s Advice for Gentlepeople
I don’t study issues of gender, but I do think about them. Lately, I’ve had a new opportunity for thinking about gender and leadership because, for the first time in thirty years, my boss is a woman. Hers was an internal promotion, so she had been a peer. It’s been fascinating for me to observe […]