One Day I Wrote Her Name Upon the Strand

There is a poem, written in the 16th century, that I think of every time I go to the beach. I have my dear, departed grandfather to thank for knowing it. He passed on his love of classic poetry and literature to his children, and in turn I grew up a little conflicted on spelling, … More One Day I Wrote Her Name Upon the Strand

A Coalition of Cheetah and a Poesy of Parks’

My husband reminded me that after I posted about the 5 cheetah we saw in The Kruger, I never came back to tell you what a group of male cheetah are called. A “coalition.” A coalition of cheetah. When I first heard the word, I thought our heavily accented guide was saying “a collision of … More A Coalition of Cheetah and a Poesy of Parks’

My Dad Might Kick You in the Face

This is my dad, Roy. Today he would have been 72. As a birthday present, I’d love you to read about my dad for just a minute… He was pretty crazy, was a wonderful wood-carver, ordered his evening beer and cigarettes from us in Spanish only, danced when he needed to fart, kicked some guy … More My Dad Might Kick You in the Face

Meanwhile Russia Hates America. So Kiss Me, I’m Irish!

Let’s face it. There’s nothing light about Russia’s most recent threat to reduce America to ashes. But there is also nothing new, thankfully, and all the blustering leaves ordinary Americans and ordinary Russians scratching our heads and wondering why we can’t just have a cookout (that’s a “braai” for you ZA’ers) with some hot dogs … More Meanwhile Russia Hates America. So Kiss Me, I’m Irish!

Some Words For My Husband After Twenty Years of Marriage

Today’s post is for my husband. We married on New Year’s Eve, 1993. The morning after you drove me home in the snow, when my bicycle was all I had for the twelve-mile ride; the morning after we spent the night talking in your car by the lake, when we watched the otter swim past… … More Some Words For My Husband After Twenty Years of Marriage

There and Gone: Procession of Mandela Before Lying in State

I almost missed him. Arriving more than an hour before the procession was to begin, I drove around looking for parking several blocks from the procession route, but all was cordoned off by security and police. One police officer saw my camera and tried directing me to a bus for media, but since I didn’t … More There and Gone: Procession of Mandela Before Lying in State

Mandela’s Houghton House: Day of Prayer

Yesterday our friends asked us if we would like to go with them to visit Mandela’s house in Houghton, a suburb of Johannesburg. I wanted to share a few photos of that trip with you, as well as a video, but I’m not able to get the video uploaded yet today, but hopefully my internet … More Mandela’s Houghton House: Day of Prayer