This weekend I’m starting Thanksgiving preparations, making lists and baking bread. I’m looking forward to the upcoming holiday!
Have a great weekend and stay warm!
It has turned cold again, back to normal temperatures. The leaves are piled up in the yard and the trees are bare. I was covered with hail during my lunchtime walk yesterday. Winter is coming.
Not to be morbid, but I’ve been reading about death recently. Thoughts of aging and dying have been coming up. We have aging parents. They have lived long lives, long enough that my husband and I are also no longer young and feeling immortal. We’re becoming increasingly aware of the direction in which we are headed – that thing that you can count on, eventually.
But, it isn’t all dreary. In reading about the art critic Peter Schjeldahl’s recent passing, I had the impression that he had made good use of his final years and lived them fully. He defied predictions of his time left and wrote and wrote and wrote — a gift to everyone who loves reading his work. Then, last weekend, I read a wonderful piece by Sara Harrison about her grandfather dying on his own terms. These articles are reminders of the positive side of the process of living and dying, of prioritizing what is important and getting it done, of living the last of one’s life as one wants, inasmuch as that is possible.
And here is what I want to share with you this weekend.
- Remembering Peter Schjeldahl, a Consummate Critic — David Remnick writes about a poet, who loved art and shared it with the rest of us. (The New Yorker)
- My Grandfather’s Death Party Was a Final Gift to His Family — Sara Harrison writes about the ritual of saying goodbye. (The New York Times)
- These Three Poems Made Me Gasp — I like that Kate Baer’s work focuses on women. Looking forward to her new work. (Cup of Jo)
- A Parent’s Typical Day, as Envisioned by My Child’s Preschool — Every parent of a school-age child can probably relate. (McSweeney’s)
- Why Adults Still Dream About School — Whew! I’m not the only person who dreams that I’ve shown up to school for an exam that I forgot to study for. (The Atlantic)
- Maple Nut Granola — This recipe makes a big batch, so that you can give it to everyone this holiday season. (Sea Salt and Sailor Stripes)
- Goodness: A 12-year-old sells his artwork for charity. So far, he’s raised $15,000. — What a talented and generous person! (The Washington Post)
About the photo: Gourds and mums decorate the steps of a local home.