Original anecdotes, commentary, rumination, and occasional pontification.
MARCH 11, 2025 – Though I might fashion myself as the “modern man,” just as the delusionary graduate of a six-week Berlitz language course might think of himself as “bi-lingual,” my comfort zone is the antithesis of “current.” For example, when it came to my turn for our book club’s next reading choice, I put …
MARCH 10, 2025 – (Cont.) Nicholas was single-minded in his pursuit of architectural grandeur and lavish performances inside his multiple theaters—at his estates of Kuskovo, Ostrakino, and Markovo, outside Moscow, his dacha at Champêtre near St. Petersburg, and his most ambitious project, the Palace of the Arts in Moscow. For the Palace, he acquired the …
MARCH 9, 2025 – This evening I finished devouring a most fascinating book, The Pearl by Douglas Smith. It was recommended enthusiastically by Theofanis the Great—better known as Professor Stavrou, le tour de force of Russian history at the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts. In his introductory lecture a month ago, he assigned …
MARCH 8, 2025 – With the tilt of the North Pole moving toward the spring equinox and daytime temps rising into the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit, last Tuesday’s snow is not long for this world. Given the online ski report I read last night, I decided to race up to the Red Cabin this morning …
MARCH 7, 2025 – The past 24 hours brought a whirlwind of encounters that gave me much to ponder. First was an email from our good Czech friend Pavel—the same inimitable Dr. Šebesta whose letter from 44 years ago was the subject of my 2/24/2025 post. Embedded in his email was a link to Prime …
MARCH 6, 2025 – About a year ago I was driving home one evening with the radio on. This was good timing, since the programming happened to feature an interview with Adam Frank, author of The Little Book of Aliens, which I mentioned in my March 1 post. When this month’s host of my book …
MARCH 6, 2025 – Today I left the Big City and winged my way over the Big Storm back to Big Lake Country. Yesterday evening I’d developed mild apprehension when reading the blizzard warning that NOAA (“Go, NOAA!”) for Minnesota overnight and into today: heavy snow, low visibility, and 40 mph winds with gusts up …
MARCH 4, 2025 – I understand that earlier this evening Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in 60 years. Many of us chose not to tune in, and I can say with robust confidence that our decision was the right one. In the bubble I shared with four others over a delightful …
MARCH 3, 2025 – Today with my sister as a guide, I took another long walking tour of Central Park, winding up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There we spent over an hour viewing the special exhibit of works by Caspar David Friedrich, the German Romantic landscapist. Given the Romantic inspiration derived from nature, …
MARCH 2, 2025 – Today I struggled to maintain good cheer, even a sense of humor, in the reverberatory wake of Friday’s devastating scene in the Oval Office. At regular intervals I received messages today from European friends/relatives expressing a combination of fear, anger, and dismay over our country’s open lurch into Putin’s clutches. To …
MARCH 1, 2025 – Here it is, after 11:00 p.m., and I just jettisoned the lengthy screed that I’d hammered out in anger over the shocking behavior of our president and vice president Friday in their meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine. We Americans who are now convinced that Trump is a Russian agent …
FEBRUARY 28, 2025 – The highlight of my day compensated—somewhat—for one of the lowest points in American history: the President and the Vice President of the United States berating and bullying in public, the visiting president of the country said American leaders have sold down the river to our adversary. Most of my readers are …
FEBRUARY 27, 2025 – No, I did not inadvertently omit “Society” from “The New York Historical.” It was The New York Historical Society that ripped “Society” away. While a big chunk of the country has gone bonkers over DEI, back here in New York, where I write this, hyper-libs have intercepted the DEI ball and …
FEBRUARY 26, 2025 – This morning I flew to New York for a fix of music by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner—his seventh symphony to be performed Friday by the Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall (stay tuned and in tune). Aboard the flight I reserved an aisle seat to allow for easier walks up and …
FEBRUARY 25, 2025 – In these times especially, a person needs daily diversions that aren’t injurious to the body or soul—or more positively stated, activities that promote mental and physical health. Since the turn of the year, I’ve been hauling self and ski gear over to “Little Switzerland” every day but the four that I …
FEBRUARY 24, 2025 – (Cont.) The fourth letter from February 1981 in the packet that Russ sent me exactly 44 years later was from (now) Dr. Pavel Šebesta, the inimitable Czech, to whom I introduced the readers in “Stage IV” (2/19/25 post) of this series. Pavel’s letter came in a large light brown envelope bearing …
FEBRUARY 23, 2025 – (Cont.) The datometer aboard the time machine was restless—again. It began spinning, slowly at first, then faster, faster into a blur before slowing again and coming to rest at February 19, 1981, the date of (my sister) Jenny’s letter. I stepped from the machine and sat down in the garden paradise …
FEBRUARY 22, 2025 – (Cont.) The day before [January 12, 2025], while my sister Jenny was visiting our cousin Russ and his wife Kerri in California, they came across a letter that my grandfather had written to the Winthers back in June 1933. Russ emailed a scanned version to my other two sisters and me. …
FEBRUARY 21, 2025 – (Cont.) “I saw a stupid accident in Champlin on my return from the airport,” Dad wrote. A teenager on a bike tried to dart between the cars waiting for the stop light and got hit by cars in the third lane, which he didn’t notice were moving. He hit (or got …
FEBRUARY 20, 2025 – (Cont.) After the time machine had rocketed back to the present, I looked up from Dad’s letter and squinted at the view framed by the window panes—sun and snow blinding me to the extreme cold outside. After my eyes adjusted, I noticed the royal blue sky, which reminded me of the …
FEBRUARY 19, 2025 – (Cont.) “Monica” was a Swedish woman, about the same age as I (25 at the time), whom I’d met on my first trip to Europe. She and two of her friends, all from Lund, were on a Greek holiday, and our initial encounter was aboard an overnight ferry from Brindisi to …
FEBRUARY 18, 2025 – (Cont.) If Dad had shared any of Mother’s misgivings about my decision to gallivant around the world until the money ran out, he hadn’t let on. I think his acquiescence in my plans stemmed from a combination of his knowing I was determined to follow through on my ambitions and his …
FEBRUARY 17, 2025 – (Cont.) The first letter was from my dad, who died 15 years ago this coming May. As I unfolded the single sheet of lined paper and exposed his familiar handwriting to the present light, the slight disturbance of air sent the time machine “datometer” into a dizzying blur. Dad’s distinctive cursive, …
FEBRUARY 16, 2025 – Anyone who has looked at a photograph or read a text or a letter has experienced to a lesser or greater degree, the effect of a time machine. On occasion, however, a picture or missive from your ancient past bursts forth upon the present, grabs you by the collar and yanks …
FEBRUARY 15, 2025 – In these times of great rancor and bitter despair; division and anxiety, we must celebrate the people whose life works exemplify humanity at its best. This afternoon I found myself[1] among 200 people in just such a celebration inside Westminster Hall at the sprawling campus of Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown …