While we were eating lunch, my phone buzzed twice. It didn’t sound like a normal text message. EMERGENCY ALERT Tornado warning in this area until 2:15 pm TAKE SHELTER My phone is telling me to take shelter. My gut is telling me that today is a bad day. Tom hasn’t touched his soup yet. We … read more Will the storm ever pass?
Month: November 2016
The color of rain
I woke up at 4 a.m. And listened. What was that sound? I wasn’t sure. I hoped. I got up. And there it was. Rain. Finally. We’ve had less than 4 inches of rain in the last four months; normally we’d have gotten 16 inches. The last real rain, of more than an inch, was … read more The color of rain
Emerging star
This Degas pastel, “The Star: Dancer on the Stage,” was on the cover of an album of classical music that Mom had when I was a kid. I don’t remember what the music was, but I never forgot the painting. We are up in the rafters above the stage, looking down on the dancer just … read more Emerging star
New books
As much as I like the serendipity of writing about each day as it comes, I’m starting to bore myself. Now that I’ve written more than 500 posts, it’s time to get serious. Writing time is precious. With this volume of words, I want to be aiming toward a finished product. Books. More than a year … read more New books
The fabric of Phil
There’s this T-shirt I’ve had it for 20 years. Can’t get rid of it. If I’d follow the advice of William Morris and countless decluttering experts, I should toss this T-shirt because it is neither beautiful nor useful. I was weeding out clothes today, and I tried again to put it in the box. Couldn’t do it. … read more The fabric of Phil
The curious woodpecker
I was quietly enjoying my research this morning when a visitor came to my second-floor office window. It was a pileated woodpecker, clinging to the window frame as he peered in. He just sat there, looking at me, and I stared back. He wasn’t pecking, he just looked and looked. At me, at my office, around … read more The curious woodpecker
Giving thanks in old ways
If your Thanksgiving feast leaves you exhausted, here’s an idea you might want to contemplate for next year. The Virginia General Assembly in 1770 passed an Act to set “days of public fasting and humiliation or thanksgiving” throughout the state. Under this act, all ministers of the Gospel were to hold divine service and preach a sermon “suited to the occasion” … read more Giving thanks in old ways
Playing with 13 Rectangles
In making a fused glass version of Kandinsky’s 13 Rectangles, I intended to explore his philosophy of color while translating the painting from oil to another medium. I certainly learned about his use of values, which I didn’t expect; and a bit about blending, which isn’t possible in glass the way it is with paint. After playing with 13 … read more Playing with 13 Rectangles
The 8-hour workday
In the fall of 1919, a massive strike shut down the steel industry. The U.S. Senate Committee on Education and Labor held hearings to investigate the strike while it was in progress. One of the 350,000 striking workers, Andrew Pido, testified: The CHAIRMAN. What is the reason you struck this time? Mr. PIDO. I strike on … read more The 8-hour workday
Poverty amid plenty
I am taking a video inventory at the rental house, in case it burns to the ground. My voice is clinical and flat as I pan the camera around each room, peering into cupboards, narrating. Here in the kitchen, we have an electronic food scale and a manual scale, we have pots and pans brought … read more Poverty amid plenty