George Carlin died early this morning, and I’m sure he was relieved to learn that it’s true, you can’t take it with you. None of it transfers to the other side. Money. Possessions. Stuff. I always loved Carlin’s rants about Americans and their consumerism. Paraphrasing: “We have houses for our stuff. When we leave we [...]
We did it, we went to Disney World! What everyone told us was true. It was: Clean Fun Expensive (except for the 69 cent cup of tea from the MGM Studios coffee shop) Tiring Crowded Uncrowded Slick Unsophisticated Diabolical Happy Full of cashiers named Chris and Jennifer, just like us, only they were from China, [...]
One Christmas a few years ago, we received a brilliant gift from friends Penny & Glenn. It was a small British book called “Boring Postcards,” compiled from the collection of Martin Parr. The minute Chris and I opened it, we were crying with laughter. Charmless vistas, an eerily empty lounge in a convalescent home, hideous [...]
Hey, Brad Pitt has been named the best dad in the world! Votes were cast at the Web mag StyleList.com, which clearly attracts a deeply thoughtful, even scholarly, crowd. With excellent personal knowledge of Brad’s parenting skills. I might agree that Brad is the best looking dad in the world. But THE BEST? Put him [...]
Vintage cookbooks are not just about recipes, they’re also about cultural standards. Among my favorites are relics from the 1950s, when life in America was sharply defined along gender lines, space travel was a thrilling new idea, and little boys were shown playing with guns. As Father’s Day approaches, I couldn’t resist sharing these pages [...]
The following is a heretical statement. I’m a Disney hater. OK, “hate” is too strong a word. But our children have been raised with an unspoken credo: Trail tromping trumps teacup twirling. This motto is unspoken because it sounds ridiculous…and also I just made it up. But you know what I mean. None of us [...]
Kids see the world in fresh and creative ways. Life with children is a bit like doing a long internship with an improv theatre troupe. Much of the comedy is physical and involves props. Exhibit A: A kiwi. Hairy small fruit from New Zealand, or nocturnal creature eyes? Exhibit B: Red pepper bits. Something to [...]
Dear Clothing Designers of America: It’s June. Summer time! Winter woolens and spring coats have been packed away. I need new blouses and dresses for upcoming special events, so I stroll into the stores…and right out again. Everything is sleeveless. Camis. Tanks. Sundresses. Halters. Your flimsy spaghetti straps mock me. Here’s a photo of me [...]
The Hans Brinker method of remediation is called for when there’s a spill on the kitchen floor. Simply skate over the liquid with a towel, even if the spill was milk or lemonade. Yes, the floor will be sticky later, but hey, this is much faster than using soapy water and a mop or sponge! [...]
The laughing child at left is my grandmother, Lorene. She’s with her brothers Paul and Ted. Holding baby Isabel Clare is their mama, as they called her, Mabel Kelsey Owen – just one of the many mothers of brothers in my family tree. The Owen family moved, in 1905, from Minneapolis to Mexico City. They [...]
