Why Your Life is Easier with a Plan, and a Little Sneak Peek at Annette Gendler’s Second Book
I used to work in consulting as a project manager, so I should know this: Life is easier with a plan. Without a plan, all those tasks you should be remembering start churning in your head. Together they become a bigger cloud and soon enough, you're stressing out about all the things you should be doing. That's exactly what was [...]
Farewell to a Fridge, Or: Is It Weird to Become Attached to an Appliance?
Farewell old fridge, and thanks for your service! I have to admit: My heart sank when the delivery guys carried out our old fridge. After serving us faithfully for 24 years, its compressor gave out last month. When we called the GE repairman, he advised us that he could not obtain replacement parts. "Get a new one," he said, "twenty-four [...]
One of the Most Picturesque Chicago Neighborhoods You’ve Probably Never Heard of: The Pullman Historic District
Row Houses on St. Lawrence Ave, Pullman Historic District, Chicago Chicago is like that: In its farther reaches, bland wide streets lined with strip malls or highways with twisting on- and off-ramps ferry a driver through the city. All the while, a cute neighborhood with pretty homes and lush gardens can lie just a block or two beyond that kind [...]
How the Experience of Surgery and Tremendous Physical Pain Changes You Forever
This Wednesday was the one-year anniversary of my hip surgery. Unfortunately, this anniversary makes me sad. Recovering from this surgery sent me through hell and back, and I am not better for it. One-and-a-half hours of surgery, and I shall never be the same again. I went in thinking I will have to endure pain, but ultimately I will be [...]
How a Sad Story from the 18th Century Brings to Life Today’s American Locations
View of Sand Beach, Acadia National Park, Maine, May 2019 Before we left on our recent trip to Acadia National Park, an acquaintance recommended I read Evangeline - A Tale of Acadie. When I looked puzzled at that suggestion, she insisted, "Read it! It's the story of that place." Indeed it is. Epic poems are not exactly typical contemporary reading [...]
What to Do When a Deadline Looms and You Are at a Loss What to Write About
Get going on the road to writing (Empty road in Nevada, August 2011) Last Thursday, I was at a loss what to write for Friday's blog post. Uninspired, I thought, I'll just share a collection of phrases I found insightful from a craft book I recently read (Roger Rosenblatt's Unless It Moves the Human Heart). However, as soon as I [...]