March 13th, 2013 → 5:17 am
“The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne
Burned on the water; the poop was beaten gold.” – Antony and Cleopatra
A former student came to see me in my office yesterday. Within five minutes she was crying, spilling the story of her breakup with her boyfriend, segueing into the heartache of the death of her father… I started to wonder why she’d come to see me of all people, when she suddenly explained that when her life was a mess, she liked to seek out people who had their shit together. This time, she thought of me and coming to hang out with me. It was a huge complement, of course, though rather surprising. My seat is not a burnished throne, and my poop most certainly is not gold. But if I can talk to someone for forty-five minutes and make them feel even a little bit better about life, well, that’s an awesome thing.
Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life
March 9th, 2013 → 6:16 am
“‘Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall.” – Measure for Measure
Ways in which I am tempted: junk food, extra sleep, denigrating idiots, spoiling my baby, blaming my husband, ignoring the laundry, hating my enemies
Ways in which I fall: junk food (often), extra sleep (rarely), denigrating idiots (sometimes), spoiling my baby (all the time), blaming my husband (now and again), ignoring the laundry (not enough), hating my enemies (too obsessively)
That’s not the worst track record, is it?
Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life
March 5th, 2013 → 8:15 am
“The slaves of chance, and flies
Of every wind that blows.” – Winter’s Tale
Last Thursday a man in Florida, asleep in his bedroom in his very own home, was suddenly swallowed up by a 60 foot sinkhole that opened up beneath his bed. Could that be any more other-wordly, science-fictiony unbelievable? We paltry human beings, we measly bags of flesh; in vain we put up sticks of wood and concrete to try and protect ourselves from the world. We could all be swallowed up by sinkholes at any time, without any notice. What a truly frightening thought.
February 25th, 2013 → 5:17 am
“He’s all my exercise, my mirth, my matter;
Now my sworn friend, and then mine enemy;
My parasite, my soldier, my statesman, all.
He makes a July’s day short as December,
And with his varying childness cures in me
Thoughts that would thick my blood.” – The Winter’s Tale
It was a weekend of fun with my son, Vincent! We had birthday parties to go to, Magic Houses to visit, Purim carnivals to attend. Phew! We even built two snowmen in the back yard – one more of a snow monster, but that’s ok, he only scared away the rabbits.
Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life
February 21st, 2013 → 6:14 am
“I do desire we may be better strangers.” – As You Like It
Wouldn’t this just be the best insult to give to someone you didn’t like? Not that I’d ever remember it in the moment, or have the courage to actually say it if I did. But here’s to one of my favorite subtle, yet withering, Shakespearean insults.
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
February 19th, 2013 → 8:29 am
“Do you not know I am a woman? When I think I must speak.” – As You Like It
Today is the 50th anniversary of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique. I have to admit, I haven’t read it (and I’m trying to decide if I should), but it did make a significant impact in its day. Whatever the merits of the book itself, two thumbs up for women speaking up, even when it creates waves.
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
February 16th, 2013 → 8:41 am
“My heart
Leaps to be gone into my mother’s bosom.” – Pericles
Today is my mother’s birthday and, 14 years after her death, I still wake up thinking about her on this day. She would have been 64 years old today. Happy Birthday Mom! Sometimes, when I am cuddling my son in the early hours of the morning and he has his warm, sleepy face pressed into my breast, I imagine he is me and I am you and we are clasped in a loving embrace like I remember, and treasure, from many, many years ago…
Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life
February 14th, 2013 → 5:54 am
“Thinking of nothing else, putting all affairs else in oblivion, as if there were nothing else to be done but to see him.” – Henry IV, Part II
Remember new love? When it was all you could do not to obsess about the object of your affection all day long? Ah, those days were fun… In remembrance of them, Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
February 9th, 2013 → 7:48 am
“Winter tames man, woman, and beast.” – Taming of the Shrew
A winter storm is battering the Northeastern United States right now. I’ve read that thousands of flights are canceled, roads are closed, power outages are developing. All that is bad, of course, yet I still can’t help feeling a little jealous. We haven’t had a good winter storm here in St. Louis in years. It’s cold, I’ll give you that, but not snowy. And I really wish I had some thick, powdery snow to play in with my little boy. Here’s wishing we have a terrible winter storm headed our way!
February 5th, 2013 → 7:51 am
“Sin, death, and hell have set their marks on him.” – Richard III
And apparently, that’s how his remains were identified. It’s been utterly fascinating to read about the 500 year old bones of Richard III found in a parking lot. It’ll be interesting to see the new theories and thoughts that come out of the discovery… if only we could find the two princes that he murdered, now that would be awesome!
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People