There are undeniably many sources of anxiety in our world today, and reasons to be depressed. It’s one of those laugh or cry situations, and I’d generally rather laugh. But how? A couple of recent articles provided some guidance. Psychology Today talks about purpose in terms of little p versus Big P. People often feel […]
Remember school days when you’d be asked how you spent your summer vacation? Well, here’s the Cliff Notes version of how I spent my summer, by way of explaining the long delay between blog posts. Happy hours on the deck overlooking the water and laughing at the shenanigans at the boat launch. Hosting book groups, […]
A very amusing column about jargon appeared in the Economist recently and introduced me to the concept of a “nub.” This acronym for non-useful body is apparently employed by submariners to describe a ride-along person who takes up space, air and food while performing no useful function. In other words, not a member of the […]
The fraternal twins are finally ready to face the world! A few months back I began a series of two paintings (yes, with my boredom threshold, two constitutes a series) of sunsets, a favorite subject. A shoulder injury, a trip to Portugal and an art opening (you can see my travel paintings in the gallery […]
My exhibit at the local library includes limited edition prints and a group of my travel photos, works I hadn’t exhibited in quite a while. I enjoyed seeing Mexico, Bali and Miami’s Art Deco district again – vicarious traveling during a pandemic. The show was well-received and I was asked to extend it, which I […]
I’m feeling ambivalent lately about a significant milestone, and this post is one way of coping. I lived in downtown Hartford for 40 years and loved it. The convenience and safety of walking to restaurants, museums, theater, ball games, concerts, stores and drinks with friends were wonderful. So was the energy; I loved having my […]
Our number finally came up to register for the vaccine. Sort of. Well, maybe. Somewhere. But possibly not for a week or two. The state announced we’re eligible. One major hospital system managed to incorporate that information into their sign-up process. The one with which our doctor is affiliated, however, did not. The doctor’s office […]
The subjects I feel the urge to paint most often, besides cityscapes from my travels – sadly, not this year – are seascapes, particularly sunsets over the water. Not enjoying plein air (painting on-site) due to sunburn, bugs and intrusive passers-by, I often work from photos taken near my studio on the Connecticut shore. One […]
Some of you may remember a popular book from several years back entitled Bowling Alone. It described the negative impact on society created by suburbs, automobiles and shopping malls, to the detriment of happy, random encounters with neighbors, or relationships with shop owners. The book also cited fewer people joining service clubs, leading to less […]
This wasn’t a term I’d heard before, but the often invisible effort of cognitive labor is also known as life admin, which is more intuitively obvious. The person in a family who’s generally in charge of things like household maintenance and social coordination is buried in cognitive labor. It’s often unacknowledged, but the time (or […]
