Tomato Sauce – Homemade
Remembering Marjorie Williams
Seven years ago, the world lost a great writer named Marjorie Williams who died at age 47 from liver cancer leaving behind a husband and two young children, ages 11 and 8. At the time of her death, Williams was an op-ed columnist with the Washington Post and a frequent contributor to Vanity Fair where she primarily wrote political profiles – not your typical rose smelling or hatchet job profiles but portraits that zeroed in on the character beyond what the image machine created. Somehow Williams managed to figure out what was at the core of a being – what drove him or her – and deftly tied in all the minutiae in their universe to show the reader who the person really was in an entertaining but truthful way. Read more
You Know You’re in Switzerland When…
My great-grandmother was born in Soulalex, a village located in the French-speaking canton (similar to a US state) of Valais (section 23 in the map below) in Switzerland. Located literally on the side of a mountain, Soulalex was a small farming village a hundred years ago when she left and immigrated to Illinois in search of a better life. She was 16 years old. Read more
Nordic Walking
While living in Switzerland, I noticed that many people used nordic poles to walk vigorously. Their posture was excellent and yet their movements seemed so fluid, fast and effortless. More popular in Europe than the US, nordic walking is a sport that has yet to be recognized or “gone viral” as my daughter would say. She calls nordic walking an “old ladies sport” but there couldn’t be anything further from the truth. Read more
Playing Fair With Interest Rates
“To End All Wars”
A Weekend at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain
Granada, Spain is the capital of the Province of Granada and in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. Although Granada is only an hour from the Mediterranean Sea, the city sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Read more
“Mental Floss”
We all have our favorite magazines and mourn those that are no longer published (Life) or changed (Newsweek) while continuing to look for new choices. My favorite magazine is “The New Yorker” for two reasons: the cartoons are hilarious; and the stories are immensely enjoyable to read because the writing is so damn good. Every week when The New Yorker arrives, I get giddy – similar to how I feel when I receive a new book or open a box with a new pair of running shoes. But as much as I enjoy “The New Yorker,” I am always on the lookout for the next interesting magazine which is how I found “Mental Floss.” Read more
Adieu to 2011: The Year of AARP and Paul Anka
2011 is going to remain in my memory for a long time because two significant things happened: I joined AARP and went to a Paul Anka concert – yes, the Peter Frampton groupie of 1975 admits to attending a Paul Anka concert. These events may seem quite normal to some people but for anyone that knows me, joining a club for “seniors” and attending a concert that isn’t considered “rock and roll” borders on breaking the faith of my rebel generation. Read more
The Photo Christmas Card and Family Letter
It’s December and the annual “Christmas Card” has not been created or mailed. Every year our family has sporadic conversations throughout the year about what our Christmas photo card should be. We’ve recreated musicals, historical events, period pieces, and spoofed ourselves all in the name of fun and enjoying the holidays.
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Paddock Post 