Tag: my mind wanders
The “F” Word
Why has the “F” word become so indispensable to—dare I make the pun—daily intercourse? As a verb it exudes hostility. As an adverb it displaces countless positive and negative modifiers more explicit, poetic, and expressive. The “F” word seems to be in constant use, in music, film and television, in conversation, and on Facebook. I…
Up, Up and Away!
When the clock alarmed me at 5 in the morning, all I knew was exhaustion and the weight of darkness. I turned on the light and groped for the phone and the instruction sheet. They said I should call to confirm after 4:30 and to be sure to be there at 7. The voice on…
Trick or Treat!
Hallowe’en, as I remember it anyway, was all about the good stuff: popcorn balls, caramel apples, enormous chocolate-chip cookies, and all of it homemade. There was a lot of candy, of course. Too many Dum Dum lollipops and too few Tootsie Pops, an overabundance of Mary Janes and Necco Wafers and an insufficient supply of…
An English Wedding 10: Eating, Drinking and Navigating
We prefer not to be dependent on restaurants. They serve too much, they cost too much, and they simply are not convenient. Sunday night we got to the Bee at Burnham about half past five. The kitchen was closed. Sundays and holidays do tend to be a problem; we nearly starved to death in Paris…
An English Wedding 8: The English Wedding
It was not that we didn’t have a plan. Rooms at Grovefield House Hotel were booked a year ago. Everyone was up on time, bathed coffeed and nourished. The cars were loaded with wedding attire and other necessities. Only one run back in to close windows was necessary. Directions to the hotel were in every…
An English Wedding 7: Homewood and Our History
An evening at Homewood is incontrovertible evidence that time has passed. Samantha was my classmate at Princess Helena College in Hertfordshire. The original Queen Anne building was enlarged by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) in 1908. In 1935 the house and estate of Temple Dinsley were taken over by the school when it moved…
