Friendships become so much more important as we age. Next to dogs, our friends and families provide the most fun and affection for us. If we have children, they are now older people themselves. Our children have families of their own. They have full lives. If we have siblings we should be thankful since no one else knows us as they do. It thrills me to realize my girls (daughters) are best friends with each other. I really envy them…
Large gatherings for Thanksgiving have been a tradition in our family for decades. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday ever since I stopped believing in Santa Claus. Thanksgiving week is coming. I am a bit worried about this Thanksgiving as I have a ton of peoplecoming, and I have to figure out where to put extra tables and chairs. The preparations always used to be somewhat stressful, but I never felt overwhelmed in quite the way that I do these days….
We were invited to a family wedding last weekend. The “additional information” on the invitation said to dress to a Wes Anderson theme. “Who is that, I asked?” Once my family explained it to me, I forgot all about it. My week before the wedding was so full of social events, it was unusual. Monday, a birthday party for a grandson at his family home, a black tie dinner at Farmington Country Club on Tuesday. Wednesday, I rested. Thursday, there…
In 1981, my son, Charley Matheson, graduated from Episcopal High School. It was a momentous occasion for us. We were not sure until the day before graduation that Charley would receive his diploma. There was a problem with a Russian exam. He almost failed it. The Russian teacher, who really liked Charley and knew how hard he had worked, had a heartattack just before the exam. Charley’s was a “makeup” exam. A different person did thegrading. It was a cliffhanger….
Years ago, I used to listen to my two younger boys, yelling and screaming outside near ourwonderful, magical house, called Heathfield. The sounds scraped on my nerves like chalk ona blackboard. There was no peace to be had with that cacophony of escalating soundsfiltered only slightly by the stucco walls of our house. My heart sank, knowing I must go outthere to check. I had to see whether they were just playing or actually drawing blood in theirrough games. Even…
Modern Art is a psy opp. It was planned and engineered by the CIA. These records are available now. Of course, the theory is deeply controversial. The cult of modern art supporters is tenacious and terrified of being “outed.”Yet art is still in thrall to these weird beliefs about what it is. Do you know the definition of the word “thrall”? Here it is from dictionary.com: “a person who is morally or mentally enslaved by some power, influence, or the…
When my mother reached the age of 80, we thought little of it. Of course, she was older, but so what? She did not look it, and she was happy. She was in love with a childhood sweetheart whom she married at 81. Mother never mentioned much about aging to me. She was interested in her clothes, the jewels that matched them, her dogs, her friends, and her family.She was a happy person who rarely ever complained about her own…
For most of my life, I have wondered why the Germans acted as they did between the warsand, of course, in the time immediately before the war. Why and how did they idolize Hitler,who promised to Make Germany Great Again? And how they could just pretend it was all rightto exclude Jews from their lives and, in fact, get rid of them.How was it possible?I never could understand it until I experienced what happened during Covid.People gave up their autonomy…
What is more fun than a long lunch with an old friend? Recently, I had the pleasure of spending most of the day with an old friend from my schooldays. We met at Peking, a Chinese restaurant, but we both arrived early before it opened. So, I gotinto her car, and we chatted for 20 minutes, with the windows down and a small breezekeeping us from sweating too much as the sun beat down on her automobile, until we sawthem…
The newest wedding might have been the best one yet!! Our family has had two weddings within six weeks. That is a huge burden on a family. But my daughter Helen and her wonderful husband, David, were up to the task. Both of them are remarkably unflappable. If they feel anxiety, it is well hidden from me. Grace’s wedding was special to me because I have always known she was one of those people who (like me) wanted to be…
It was calm, sedate, and pleasant for the guests. The room was lovely. The pale blue walls,with white plaster decorative touches, gave guests a feeling of peace.This peace surrounded me and filled me with loving thankfulness. After the morning I had justspent going to a graduation in the rain at UVA, it was a blessed relief. It had poured all nighton Friday and drizzled all Saturday morning. It was pretty unpleasant, but I was with agranddaughter, Delilah, trying to find…
Today, I went to UVA’s graduation for the Class of 2024, which included mygranddaughter, Georgina. Of course, I went. But when I woke up this morning and saw that it was raining, Ithought about skipping the part at “The Lawn.” The forecast was for rain tocontinue all day. Well, it did continue, but I went anyway. Two of my other grandchildren had spent the night at my house, and we allwent out to dinner with the graduate and her parents…
Building brain cells occupies my mind these days. As the years take their toll, it behooves us to find exercises for our mind, body, and spirit. I love a challenge, but I know my limits to some degree. For instance, learning a new language is far down my list, as I have never had much luck with that. Now, I have discovered Mah Jongg. And it is exactly like learning a new language! But it’s more fun for me because…
I learned on Saturday that I no longer cry when I hear wedding vows between a young woman and a young man. Age has made me wiser, calmer, and more realistic. Weddings are so beautiful and moving; women love them. While most men seem to wish they could avoid going altogether. Marriage is full of ups and downs. Some are so small you barely notice, and others are as strong as earthquakes. I believe in Marriage. Taking Marriage vows is…
He is Risen! Easter is the most important religious holiday for Christians. But I did not go to church on Easter. This made me feel momentarily guilty, but on the other hand, my gratitude to my Higher Power was demonstrated differently. Family! Ours is large and boisterous and full of love for each other. Not everyone is so blessed. It seems to me that gathering those relatives together to celebrate Easter is undoubtedly the right spirit to have. We are…
