Perhaps I was too glib when the ostrich bit me. In retrospect it seems a harbinger of much that was to follow. This weekend we explored the Loue Valley, following along the winding Doubs river that runs from Switzerland to France. The Loue river was discovered to be a tributary of the Doubs when in […]
The unattributed opening quote of W.W. Jacobs’ The Monkey’s Paw, first published in Harper’s in 1902 reads as follows: Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it. The day we returned from Venice we found out Ali’s NY office was closing and they wanted him to relocate. I’ve been dreaming of a sabbatical […]
I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs; A palace and a prison on each hand. Lord Byron~ Childe Harold (canto IV, st. 1) This has been a surreal and life-changing trip. Lying in bed for six days was heart-breaking after years of wanting to see Venice, but more so, it was frightening. The […]
Today we visited Père-Lachaise Cemetery. It was established by Napoleon in 1804, breaking the (health-hazard) ban on inner-city cemeteries imposed in 1786. At the time of its opening, the cemetery was too far from the city proper and attracted few funerals. The administrators devised a marketing strategy and with great fanfare organized the transfer of […]
I grate the parmesan cheese in a tall snowy pile and cry. I stop, I make noises, I lean against the window, the glass cold, tears sting the raw skin around my eyes. I breathe. Xie sits on the kitchen floor watching me. I arrange piles of hot bacon, turkey and the cheese on a […]