Across the street from us, Betty has an embarrassment of riches in her backyard. I didn’t know about this delicious problem until she called me last week, asking if I would do her a favor and pick myself a bagful of plums from her trees. Naturally, I agreed. It was the least I could do for a kind [...]
I eat all my French fries on the way home from the burger place. According to many people’s upbringings, this is not the best idea, especially for kids. There are so many reasons to wait: maintaining good habits of eating at the table, keeping the car clean, and developing maturity through delayed gratification. I ponder [...]
When I was 16 years old, I had a blue belt in Aikido. Sounds impressive, but it was one level above beginner. Mom was a higher belt than I was—perhaps brown?—and was definitely more committed to it than I was. Because I am a night owl, getting up at pain-o’clock on Sunday mornings for class [...]
