A poem for the end of 2024
When thunder flashes and lightning claps The icicles grow upwards from the taps And point to a sodden, saddened sky from whence The coldest rain fulfils the earthly floods Restoring
Reflections upon goodwill towards all
Ebenezer Scrooge, the protagonist of A Christmas Carol, was perhaps the leading economic minimalist of Dickensian times. From rationing the coals that burned in his clerk’s grate to his consumption
Did You Know? … Two Christmases in 1924
Thinking about today’s commercialization of Christmas had me reflecting on how different Christmas would have been for my great-grandmothers, one in England and the other in Portugal, 100 years ago.
What I learned about friendship from teaching yoga in bad Portuguese
I spent the first 20 years of my adult life in Philadelphia. Philly is a special place. It’s a city of neighborhoods. The neighborhoods are made of row homes. Living
Wishing you a safe, sane and soulful new year
Making our way slowly to Christmas and poised on the edge of a new year, some among us are waiting for the big fella to deliver the goods and make
Smokin’ shoes and positive news
“Do you really want to smoke our shoes?” ask the stars of the show this week, who are quick to point out, to confused would-be customers, that “hemp is the
A Year in Monchique 2 – Wildest dreams, wildest nightmares – August 2018
Inevitably, there are moments in all our lives when important events occur. We could probably place these into two categories. The first ones are internal. I love the phrase ‘You
Classical music choices for Christmas 2024
Enjoyable seasonal music Two recently released recordings could make for rewarding listening during the 12 days of festivities which celebrate the birth of Christ. The first is aptly titled “Music
Euthanasia: the right to death with dignity
On November 29, the British Parliament resolved by votes of 330 to 275 a motion to alter, in a very restricted manner, the law which relates to assisted dying. For
Off Grid and Ignorant in Portugal: Real people – and how they do things
I’ve recently realised we don’t live like real people. When real people have a problem, they call someone – a workman, an expert, a master technician, Ghostbusters, or whoever it