Three tired Knoxville Ballet School monkeys after a <successful> video audition for American Ballet Theatre's Young Dancer Summer Workshop in 2012 The same three monkeys at ABT in NYC later that summer, with their idol, one Catherine Hurlin Last week during a discussion at a writers' workshop I attended over in Cambridge, NY, I listened … Continue reading A Fire in the Belly
Work
Pruning Away Neurons (And Re-Growing Them)
Of his own writing Evelyn Waugh famously quipped, "I put the words down and push them around a bit." In Freshman Comp 101 you'd identify that literary device as understatement, of course. Sometimes I worry an entire generation of writers may be losing the penchant for pushing words around a bit. If I could distill writer … Continue reading Pruning Away Neurons (And Re-Growing Them)
Creative Workshop Takeaways: Publish or Perish
Today I attended a creative workshop led by New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz at this really groovy yurt in Cambridge, NY. (By the way, yurt is the word of the day.) I attended sessions on writing, photography, and blogging. One thing Jon underscored in his writing and blogging sessions was the importance of producing … Continue reading Creative Workshop Takeaways: Publish or Perish
Balance: Sunday Journal
Spring has never felt more welcome. And as sure as it has felt like spring for the past week we are evidently in for 50s, clouds and rain for the next. It's okay by me: there is no snow in the forecast, and I have noted very definite signs of thickening in the tips of … Continue reading Balance: Sunday Journal
Balance: Saturday Photo Essay
Winter stubbornly hangs on up here in these parts long after spring has sprung elsewhere. I'm getting used to it. I think a sure sign of that is worrying less about weather and lately thinking more about finding balance. Not to get all philosophical about it, but I really do try: work, play, food, exercise, … Continue reading Balance: Saturday Photo Essay
March 1, 2015 Vital Signs: A Letter Home
That was a recent winter morning here in the southwest quadrant of Vermont, USA, rare sunlight dappling the woods behind the house. Lately our days have started with temperatures at or below zero, typically without sunshine. Nights have been much colder. One morning last week my car would not turn over without convincing, and then … Continue reading March 1, 2015 Vital Signs: A Letter Home
Somebody Please Hand Me My Oil Can
Dancers have such ugly feet.--Anne Bancroft, The Turning Point Handsome Chef Boyfriend looked at that photo and said, Your feet don't look that bad in real life. Cheeky. I don't really care how they look (a benefit of age and wisdom, I think). They've served me pretty well for most of my life. Recently not so … Continue reading Somebody Please Hand Me My Oil Can
Now, if I can just…figure out…how to…work this…thing.
About a half inch of packed ice covered Vermont's Route 7A between Arlington and Bennington on Monday morning after a tricky storm last weekend began with snow and ended with rain. A half-hour commute to work stretched into roughly fifty minutes, not bad considering. I still do not understand winter road conditions in New England, … Continue reading Now, if I can just…figure out…how to…work this…thing.
First Day Jitters
Yesterday dawned clear and sunny and very cold in central Vermont, my last time to wake up in the loft, HCB at my side. We had the big work of packing and moving ahead of us, still time for a final cup of coffee before we pushed up our sleeves. The winter storm that is … Continue reading First Day Jitters
Pleasantly Neurotic
One thing I've learned from hanging around with shrink friends through the years: everybody behaves neurotically sometimes--nobody is exempt. Getting a diagnosis as clinically neurotic in some way depends on where your behavior lies along a continuum--are you neurotic all the time, or are you a once-in-a-while, casual neurotic? I have self-diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder--not … Continue reading Pleasantly Neurotic
Sycamore Stories 