“Ne praesumas de crastino die, sed age recte hodie.” (Presume not upon tomorrow, but act rightly today.) The word “presume” is from the Latin praesumere, which means to “take in advance.” We use the word to mean assuming something is desirable or true based on probability, such as “I won’t presume to give you advice.” … More Not To Presume…
By the time you read this, it’s just possible that the massive block of ice created by shoveling snow from our walkway will have melted. I’m not taking any bets. Our personal glacier has been here for two weeks so far. The rain didn’t melt it. It remained defiant during those two hours when the … More Fun With Frozen Things
A few short years ago, when relentless time was beginning to overtake my parents, and the empty chairs around our Thanksgiving table were already noticeable, there came the very last family gathering when all my mother’s children sat down for a meal together under her roof. We didn’t know it was the last. One rarely … More The Cranberry Salad
Give me at least twelve days of Christmas, and I’m not taking down the decorations on the 26th. That’s Boxing Day, and the Second Day of Christmas, well deserving of a bit of holly and a twinkling light. The number of homes and businesses still decorated during the first week of January tells me I’m … More Twelve More Days
Outside The Box 