That's Bubby grinning in front with Aunt Ann next to her and in back, (l-r), Aunt Adele, Mom (aka "Aunt Irlene"), Aunt Bessie & Aunt Freda. My family was comprised of women who were not warm and fuzzy. They were efficient. Mom, in particular, was not all shy about noting the shortcomings of her offspring. … Continue reading If you loved it, you fed it: a Mother’s Day Post, recipe included
Category: Family story
For Wisconsin voters, shit didn’t just get real this past week. It rolled downhill, thanks to the cabal of legislators and judges who insisted the April 7 election run in business-as-usual fashion - in the midst of a pandemic. That meant registered voters who hadn’t receieved absentee ballots in time to return them postmarked by … Continue reading Anger tinged with hope: a WI election story from the bottom of the hill
On Tuesday, Election Day here in Wisconsin, I’m going spend the day counting ballots. Last week, the call went out for volunteers, and I figured it was something I could do. We’re going to be working in an 80,000 square-foot space; social distancing will be enforced. Masks and gloves will be provided. Today, the front page … Continue reading Voter suppression & COVID-19: too good an opportunity for WI legislators to pass up
The night our father went missing, my sister hung out in her bedroom, reading “The Boys of Summer” by Roger Kahn. Dad had given her the book, and she figured reading it might help bring him home. That was 46 years ago (or will be, this coming Saturday). This morning, in an email, she told … Continue reading Long-dead hypochondriac & sports fan’s life lessons on managing COVID-19
On Halloween, Sweetheart and I saw “Hamilton,” which is finally touring. It would probably be more accurate to say that I finally saw “Hamilton” and Sweetheart came along for the ride. He knows I wouldn’t have spent gobs of money and dragged him out on a work night if I hadn’t been pretty certain he’d … Continue reading ‘Hamilton’ lyrics hit home for me & my sister: who tells our cousin’s story?
Two days ago, in Rome, I had five different flavors of gelato. Three before pizza (in a dish) and two after (in a cone). Then, we walked to the Trevi Fountain. If anyone is wondering about flavors, the cup was stracciatella (chocolate chip)/a vanilla with pistachio nuts, chocolate ribbons, and cappuccino. The cone was pecorino & … Continue reading Gelato, Gravlax & other Foodgasms: eating in the Euro Zone
by Debby Waldman For my sister’s 60th birthday this year, my husband and I invited her to join us on a two week trip to Italy and France. In turn, Amy offered to treat me to an early birthday gift, a cooking class in Sardinia. She organized the class through a travel blogger, Claudia Tavani, who … Continue reading Guest post: The Cooking Class, With Attempts at Salesmanship and Decluttering Thrown In
The good news: I'm eating bread without getting sick. I don't have a bread picture. This sea bream was my first entree in Sardinia, presented by Julio, who has worked in Australia & Ireland and would like to come and work in the US. The bad news: My alpaca shawl* and ipod* got lost in … Continue reading Great bread, Phoenician ruins and lost stuff: the first few days of my European adventure
On Labor Day here in the US, I began piling up what I want to bring on my Big European Adventure, commencing Friday. “Want” is not an accidental adjective. Some of what I pile up is not going to make the cut. That said, I have put a fair bit of thought into what I’m … Continue reading Magic hats and appendices: Let the packing commence!
For the next few weeks, welcome to my travel blog. When I turned 50, I threw a girls-only sleep-over party. Dinner and breakfast were both co-ed affairs, with invitees welcome to show up for either or both. It was a glorious event, held at a friend’s mansion-turned-law-office. (You can see photos here.) Judy (who flew … Continue reading How to turn 60 & go to Europe: be my sister’s sister
the sentence factory 