Frasier and Niles . Love . The General
Happy Valentine’s Day
On February 13, 2021 by Speranza
I remember telling both of my sons that while large breasts were a very nice attribute in a girlfriend, the more pressing question should be, as the relationship began to deepen: “Would this person make you soup when you are sick?”
Art for Art's Sake . British Stuff . Collecting . Frasier . The General
A Clean Break
On November 26, 2020 by Speranza
I always enjoy my house being clean but I’ve never been able to become excited about the process or to schedule reminders connected to doing certain things. (And I have known these people – though not well, perhaps tellingly.) They have laminated sheets and clipboards; Sunday morning stove scrub-downs and allotted days for vacuuming and laundry. I do not aspire to be part of this group.
Covid Times . The General
Three Questions
On November 22, 2020 by Speranza
As November lurches to a close and we remain in Covid-19 lockdown mode, The General and I still marvel daily at how lucky and privileged we are to be able to hunker down without the added responsibility of entertaining (and educating) young children and maintaining a job. We also never lose sight of the luxury that is called having a door that opens into a back garden. I remain fascinated too by how long this has been going on and how we have been able to adjust to restrictions that would have been considered unfathomable only a year ago.
British Stuff . Covid Times . Hope . My Mother . Nostalgia . The General
A New November
On November 10, 2020 by Speranza
Each year I dread November. As well as unconsciously shuffling through tightly compressed memories of my mother’s death (43 years ago) and all the associated bleakness both outside and within, I can hardly bear the early darkness that creeps in after a five o’clock sky, flecked with pink. I am flooded with memories of living in Britain and that particular deep reaching dampness that can only really be remedied with a large Scotch in a steaming bath. (And at seventeen, as now, I don’t even drink Scotch …)
Covid Times . Dogs . Retirement . The General
Border Lines & Border Terriers
On April 18, 2020 by SperanzaDisclaimer: Not one of my ancestors!
I’ve always had a dog. Crinkled family photos show well loved dogs owned by ancestors that I never even met. In my early married life, we had dogs in multiples – six at a time when we had a small acreage – so it has been strange and unsettling to have since endured an entire decade without any at all. The last dogs I had were Shar-Pei, exceptionally easy-going, companionable, intelligent and despite what you may have heard, ours were the very best with children. Sadly, we only had 7 years with The Incomparable ‘Hobson’ and once he and the others (‘Rose’, ‘Neon-Moon’) all passed away in quick succession after my husband’s departure, I had nothing left to give and no money for vet bills.