Archive for the ‘Psychology’ Category
Zoom, zoom
I haven’t been taking many photos lately because my main lens is malfunctioning. On occasion it gets stuck, and the only way to lock the focus is to zoom in a bit. Sometimes I mess up the timing end up with a photo like this one, which is actually a perfect metaphor for the past […]
Filed under: Minnesota, Psychology | 53 Comments
When (not) in Rome …
Esteban and I were supposed to arrive in Rome today. I say “supposed to” because when our flight took off yesterday we were still at home in our pajamas, eating French silk pie and watching reruns of Big Bang Theory. There were some omens our trip might be doomed, like the public buses that caught […]
Filed under: Psychology, Travel | 92 Comments
Tags: cancelled trip, Rome
We called him “Windrow”
In spite of his casual dress and soft southern accent, Windrow intimidated me when I first joined the news desk. He was whip-smart, often funny, sometimes gruff. He was also an experienced editor and a commanding presence in the newsroom. That’s why I snapped to attention when I saw his name on my phone’s display. […]
Filed under: Friends and family, Minnesota, Psychology | 39 Comments
Sun showers and forest baths
I was planning a return to Como Lake last weekend to see how our young eagle was coming along. But then I got distracted by the sunrise. As I passed the Gibbs Farm Museum I couldn’t help wondering how many spectacular sunrises Jane DeBow Gibbs had watched from this same spot some 170 years ago. […]
Filed under: Minnesota, Photography, Psychology | 132 Comments
Tags: forest bath, Gibbs Farm, Minnesota, owlet, owls, red-wing blackbird
HISTORIC WINTER STORM ONGOING
We’re used to wild weather forecasts in Minnesota. But for once, yesterday’s all-caps warning was no exaggeration. “URGENT … BLIZZARD WARNING EXPANDED THROUGH THE TWIN CITIES METRO … HISTORIC WINTER STORM ONGOING.” If the warning from the National Weather Service sounded dire, the road conditions were even worse. Once my friends and I realized we […]
Filed under: Minnesota, Psychology | 90 Comments
Tags: 2018 blizzard, Minnesota, Minnesota snowstorm
My watchword for 2018
Rather than make grand resolutions for 2017, instead I chose a single small word to guide me through the new year: focus. I’d been trying to do too much, I decided. I would be happier and more fulfilled if I did less, and with greater attention. Then a bunch of unexpected things happened — my […]
Filed under: Photography, Psychology | 80 Comments
Tags: happy new year, heart attack, move, supermoon, turkeys
Feels like home already
The past 12 weeks have been among the most liberating and transformative of my adult life — but among the busiest and most stressful too. I was wistful back in September as I considered leaving the home Esteban and I had bought and rebuilt together. Half of me worried we would regret our decision; the […]
Filed under: Friends and family, Psychology | 60 Comments
Tags: condo, house sale, moving
The last days in our first home
It’s been more than 20 years since Esteban and I first walked into our house, but the memory is still vivid. The wallpaper and woodwork were yellowed. Brown rings of nicotine stained the ceiling. The puke-green shag carpet reminded me of dead sod — with a path trampled down the middle, to the kitchen. The […]
Filed under: Friends and family, Psychology | 162 Comments
Tags: community, house demolition, house sale, moving, neighborhood
On this day 73 years ago, French and American troops liberated Paris from Nazi occupation. Louise Dillery remembers; she was there. Louise was born in Paris on December 14, 1925 to Radjzla (“Rose”) Silberstein and Israël Gradstein, Jewish Polish immigrants who met in Paris. My mother was from Warsaw, and my father was from Lodz […]
Filed under: History, On this day in history, Paris, Psychology | 51 Comments
Tags: Israel Gradstein, Liberation of Paris, Louise Gradstein, Lycée Victor Hugo, Paris deportations, Paris occupation, Père Théomir Devaux, Radjzla Rose Silberstein, Renée Lévy, Shoah Paris
My blog-pal Anthony has a great memory, because this morning he reminded me of a post I wrote three years ago. With apologies to those for whom this is a rerun, it at least explains why I was more excited about the heat-sensitive eclipse stamps than yesterday’s actual eclipse. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I admit it: I feel […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Psychology, Travel | 69 Comments
Tags: philately, stamp collecting, stamp collection
If you live in the U.S., you likely find yourself in one of the following states tonight: 1. tired of hearing about the eclipse, 2. dying to see your next eclipse, or 3. disappointed you missed the eclipse. I first learned of the now-infamous solar event on April 27, 2017 in the Palm Beach Post’s […]
Filed under: On this day in history, Psychology | 70 Comments
Tags: 2017 eclipse, Great American Eclipse, solar eclipse
One man’s journey to Hiroshima
Before visiting a new city Esteban and I usually read up on its history. But thanks to an overambitious itinerary, we knew little about Rouen when we arrived in September of 2015. Rouen was among Europe’s most prosperous and influential cities during the Middle Ages. Our first night was a blur (I’ll tell you about […]
Filed under: History, On this day in history, Psychology | 46 Comments
Tags: atomic bomb, Enola Gay, Hiroshima, Paul Tibbets, Rouen, Rouen bombing, World War II
Another thanks — to you
The words “thank you” can’t begin to convey my gratitude for the outpouring of support after my last post. I’m thrilled to report that Esteban is fully recovered and back to his daily routine. “This is the age of miracles and wonders,” as Paul Simon wrote. Although it was distressing to spend so much time […]
Filed under: Friends and family, Psychology | 50 Comments
Grateful with all my heart
It’s been a rough 10 days, friends. On July 9 my husband Esteban woke up with shortness of breath and a tight chest. In a scene that was eerily reminiscent of his first heart attack six years ago, we piled into the car and sped to the emergency room. The only photo I’ve taken in […]
Filed under: Friends and family, Psychology | 94 Comments
Tags: angioplasty, heart attack, hospital
An Arles appetizer
As an amateur photographer I have lots of bad habits, but by far the worst is not looking at my photos after I take them. Over time, the weight of all those photos becomes oppressive, as it can take hours to sort through my mostly crappy snapshots to pick out a handful of favorites. Eventually […]
Filed under: Photography, Psychology, Travel | 114 Comments
Tags: Arles, creative process, creativity, Photography, Travel
The trip you’re on
When it comes to travel, Esteban and I are planners: Before every trip we peruse a stack of guide books from the library, study some history, and map out our logistics. Eight cities and three countries in one trip. WHAT WERE WE THINKING?! Although we still leave plenty of time for serendipity, planning helps us […]
Filed under: Paris, Psychology, Travel | 68 Comments
Tags: back injury, Travel, travel tips
Cracking open the “funnies” file
On my desktop sits a folder called “funnies.” Some of its contents date back to the earliest days of the internet, so I no longer remember their source. The internet circa 1973. I had a lot fewer bookmarks back then. But no matter: Whenever I’m having a rough day, the “funnies” file always brings a […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Psychology | 60 Comments
Tags: funnies, funny headlines, humor
The first time I met Aunt Lisa, Esteban and I had rented a Plymouth Reliant in Queens and had driven it through rain and sleet almost 300 miles north to Lake Placid. I remember almost every mile thanks to the bald tires and absent windshield wipers (which presumably had been stolen back in Queens). Lisa […]
Filed under: Friends and family, Psychology | 81 Comments
How UNICEF sees refugees
Graphic created with images and posts compiled from UNICEF’s Twitter feed. All images copyright UNICEF. Read more about UNICEF’s work with refugees.
Filed under: On this day in history, Psychology | 23 Comments
Tags: refugee children, refugee crisis, refugee statistics, UNICEF
