I’m back in Philadelphia now and it’s been quite an adjustment. I like it, don’t take me wrong, but the urban experience is not what it used to be. Compared to the freedom of the outdoor life of the Jersey Shore, masks are de rigueur. I notice that due to the extreme heat, still prevalent, […]
Like a Swallow
Peter, my late husband, used to say that I was like a swan. I looked cool and collected on the surface, but underneath I was pedaling fast as hell. Maybe that was true; it resonated with me, since growing up I used to think that I was sort of an ugly duckling. But now I […]
A Summer Wedding
I attended a lovely wedding last weekend. Marty, one of my past travel companions, married Charlie, someone she met on a trip, and now they have embarked on a wonderful journey together. I connected with Marty through her brother Luis, a classmate of mine from graduate school at Temple University. Marty and I bonded when […]
At Home
One of my favorite reads this summer has been A Tower in Tuscany. Or a Home for my Writers and Other Animals by Beatrice Monti Della Corte (Rizzoli 2021). It’s a gorgeous picture book that begins with these provocative words: “We know that love affairs—apart from pleasure, a swiftly beating heart, and occasional moments of […]
Twenty-First Century Gazpacho
One of my favorite things to do every morning is to read El País, the Spanish newspaper. I enjoy seeing how its version of the news is often quite different from the American perspective; just the titles speak volumes. Take Novak Djokovic’s victory over Matteo Berrettini in the recent Wimbledon final. The New York […]