The Marvelous, Mystical Cure of a Bath

What is your favorite hobby or pastime? “There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.” Sylvia Plath I am addicted to baths. It began in my childhood, at what age I cannot say for certain. I can envision myself and my two sisters bobbingContinue reading “The Marvelous, Mystical Cure of a Bath”

Lee and Joanne

I first encountered her while doing laundry one afternoon, wordlessly, robotically, tending to our clothes. She taking them out of the dryer and me, placing them in. I can still recall that subterranean, no frills room, whose stark walls and dismal atmosphere would make the perfect backdrop for an Alfred Hitchcock horror film. That was,Continue reading “Lee and Joanne”

Finding Mary

A visit to a cherished next door neighbor, fifty years later, revealed a surprising revelation; you can go home again…

The Galetti Guest House

We sit together miserably, my sister and I, on the sofa of our NYC apartment. Though close in proximity we make sure to stay at least a foot apart, not daring to chance brushing up against each other, even for a split second. The sweltering heat, still villainous at 10 PM, permeates every nook andContinue reading “The Galetti Guest House”

Ode to a Pheasant

“See! from the brake the whirring pheasant springs, And mounts exulting on triumphant wings” Alexander Pope Quotes , Source: Windsor Forest (l. 111) I cannot say for certain when I first made his acquaintance or tell you the exact day he stole my heart.  We had just moved to a small town in Connecticut fromContinue reading “Ode to a Pheasant”

The Intricacy of Tying Flies

My husband was first introduced to the sport of fly-fishing as a boy while visiting his aunt at the fittingly named “Trout Club.” From the moment he first cast, he was hooked.  I never tire of watching him as the line weaves back and forth in flight, landing effortlessly on the water, mimicking a mayContinue reading “The Intricacy of Tying Flies”