Original anecdotes, commentary, rumination, and occasional pontification.
MAY 5, 2023 – Today we were among the honored guests at a most resplendent affair. Food and drink were of the finest quality; the music—of Latin temperament—was well chosen and masterfully rendered; the attendees were neither too few nor too numerous to provide a steady flow of scintillating conversation; and the whole celebration was …
APRIL 3, 2023 – (Cont.) Just inside the door I removed my shoes. After taking my jacket, Fred led me from the entryway, through the nicely appointed living room and into the dining room. Colorful Easter egg decorations hung from the broad arched entryway into the dining area. The large dining room table was so …
APRIL 1, 2023 – My grandpa Nilsson, a violinist, launched my three sisters on their own careers as violinists. He and they were in perfect synch: he was a serious teacher, and they were serious students. In my case, he practically stood on his head trying first to get me to practice, and when that …
JANUARY 25, 2023 – I’m a full week into eating on my own while Beth is eating in style—judging by the establishments listed on our Visa account (e.g. Bubbles by the Beach; Johnny Mananas). Awhile back, after decades of preparing daily dinner and leaving the dishes to me, Beth hinted unmistakably that I should learn …
JANUARY 23, 2023 – I have a confession to make. For many years I contributed nothing to my alma mater’s alumni fund. I’d soured on the whole idea in the course of paying major bucks through both nostrils for our younger son’s college education. How could increases in the all-in cost consistently far outstrip the …
DECEMBER 19, 2022 – Today I met with my oncologist, Dr. Kolla, the saint who’d called me on December 29 last year—five days before my first appointment with him. His outreach had impressed me. When we met in person, I was even more impressed—and assured. At today’s appointment, Dr. Kolla started off by telling us …
DECEMBER 13, 2022 – I enjoy regular phone visits with my friend James. He lives in New York, right around the corner from Carnegie Hall. I live in Minnesota, right around the bend from “Little Switzerland.” We were good friends in high school and remain close friends to this day, though we live worlds apart. …
OCTOBER 6, 2022 – Lately, several people have recommended that I read The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. These recommendations supplement the many earlier endorsements I’d received over the years from friends. In fact, I’ve read the book, and found it important enough to add to my “re-read” stack. If you haven’t read …
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022 – You’re living a life you never imagined when you look forward to your appointment with the oncologist. Such an appointment was a highlight of my day. My meeting was the good doctor’s last of his day and lasted nearly 90 minutes. I hadn’t seen him since last July—before “boot camp” (my …
SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 – (Cont.) Given the number of blood test results I’ve viewed recently, I’ve gained a new appreciation for precision. Hemoglobin of 10.0, compared to 9.5 the day before, for example; and platelets of 147 vs. 98. Or the nurse’s expertise in clearing my port line, completing the task faster than I can …
AUGUST 26, 2022 – (Cont.) Nurse John greeted me cheerfully at my 7:30 appointment yesterday. His mask concealed his face below his eyes, but the eyes and voice revealed unmistakable kindness and intelligence. His calm, friendly demeanor put me at immediate ease. Though definitely a “people person,” he also loved talking science—specifically, the science of …
AUGUST 25, 2022 – (Cont.) Roll back yesterday’s “video” of my LAX – LGA flight after take-off, climbing out of L.A. Having repeated my silent entreaty to the aviation gods for a “safe and uneventful take-off, a safe and uneventful flight, and a safe and uneventful landing” (four times, for extra efficacy–after all, airline safety …
AUGUST 22, 2022 – (Cont.) Yesterday afternoon I joked to some friends that “I like going to the U of MN Cancer Center so much, I even go there on Saturday and Sunday.” Joking aside, this past weekend’s sessions, each for an infusion line flush, were brief and uneventful, except for the discovery that my …
JULY 16, 2022 – Every architect I’ve met is a class act, professionally and personally. What’s to explain this? Does the profession draw a certain personality type? Do the rigors of their education weed out the riffraff? Is it because architects are artists? I must pose these questions to “my friends in architecture.” I could …
JUNE 23, 2022 – I’m interrupting my “True Story” series—an explanation of life on earth, as told to an alien from a galaxy far, far away—and exceeding all self-imposed word limits (for “True Story,” I’ve increased my previous limit of 500 to 550) to write about the loss of a dear friend, the inimitable John …
FEBRUARY 13, 2022 – For this, my 1,000th post, I’m taking a break from India to return to immediate concerns. Six weeks have passed since my first session with Dr. Kolla, my oncologist, who, as life turns, was born, reared, and educated in . . . India. I’d choose none other than this extraordinary doctor …
JANUARY 18, 2022 – My path is rocky but overshadowed by the suffering of worthier souls. Suddenly, I’m racing down a superhighway of collective pain, and I wonder . . .What’s the purpose and destination of such an expressway? I grip the wheel so hard it breaks from the steering column. Upon the high-speed obstacle …
JANUARY 13, 2022 – Yesterday, anxieties developed sharp edges, and the barometer of my physical condition—a one-mile walk—left me sore and tired. Yet, countering these setbacks were turns of encouragement—reminders that what falls down bounces up. Often the harder the fall, the higher the bounce. (Can we hope as much for the country we share?) …
JANUARY 12 2022 – Yesterday, I commenced my treatment—amidst a national health crisis. As angels flocked to my case, I recalled what a close physician-friend had told me the night before: my (vast) “cheering section” will eventually, understandably “move on” with their own lives, concerns, challenges. My friend’s realistic wisdom inspired a deeper examination of …
JANUARY 9, 2022 – Friday evening, dear friends called. Together they’re a tour de force in innumerable cultural, intellectual, and philanthropic corners of the Twin Cities—and far beyond. They’ve also weathered personal challenges that would cause lesser souls to fold. They’re a phoenix pair, who’ve squeezed more from life than life knew it possessed. This …
JANUARY 8, 2022 – Friday night I awoke from troubled sleep. In the heart of darkness, thoughts unleashed my fears and agitated my moorings. In contempt of this disturbance, I summoned an imaginary flock of sheep and sent them one-by-one over a New England stone fence. This imagery soon went awry, however, when the sheep …
JANUARY 6, 2022 – In his later years, my father, who loved music as much as any human being could, was fond of quoting Charles Munch, who said, “Music expresses the inexpressible.” Dad’s frequent description of music this way revealed much about his emotional depth, because he was actually supremely gifted at expressing himself in …
DECEMBER 28, 2021 – Yesterday, I’d just pulled some old journals off my shelf, when friend/neighbor, “K.O.” Paulson stopped by to check on me. I’ve posted about him before—a smart, thoroughly amusing, tough-talking, literary savant/retired honors English teacher, and former baseball/basketball coach, who scouts locally for the Twins. I gave K.O. the current, unvarnished low-down—to …
DECEMBER 27, 2021 – Yesterday, dear friends (fully boostered, with recent negative Covid test results) dropped by for an extended visit. More than a year had passed since our last in-person encounter. For three hours we caught up on family life and talked some about the state of the world. I’ve known Liz since she …
AUGUST 11, 2021 – We arrived in Falmouth Monday afternoon to visit Jeff—my wedding best man, Bowdoin friend and roommate—and Val, his lovely wife. None of us could remember how long it’d been since our previous time on Cape Cod, but in the tradition of old friends, we picked right up where we’d left off. …