Baggage Claim

Two decades or so ago, my mother told me a story about one particular afternoon meeting of the neighborhood book club, which Mother had founded. During their active child-raising years in the 50s and 60s, the ladies took turns choosing a book and hosting the monthly...

Summarizing

Last Saturday evening, the American Shakespeare Center hosted an event for annual pass holders – those of us who had seen ten or more of the past season’s shows. Co-founder and director Jim Warren spoke and answered questions. “I’ve seen Shakespeare performed many...

Memory Grooves

“When I told the book club that I was going back to work, they hit the roof,” Mother said as her hands leaped into the air. “Then one-by-one, the women all went back to work. It was the best thing I ever did. I would have wasted those years.” Today is my mother’s 92nd...

Quiet Zones

Here at Vanaprastha, things are pretty quiet – literally. Vehicles traversing the mountain road and planes flying at high altitude interrupt nature’s symphony only briefly. Around our house, the geothermal HVAC system and modern appliances emit inaudible hums. Last...

Experience

“Carole, this is your Uncle.” “Uncle George, what a wonderful surprise! How are you?” Last August, I mentioned Uncle George, and again in early March of this year after a bicycle accident landed him in ICU. He spent five weeks in the hospital followed by a few weeks...