May 7Member-onlyIs There A Story Here?A Tale From the Past A buttoned-up surgeon with an Algerian-born belly dancer loosely fitted into a two-size-too-small “top” dancing the night away . . . or at least a moment or two. No touching between the combatants — just two exuberant participants celebrating the birthdays of my darling husband…5 min read5 min read
Apr 4Member-onlyA Sixties Road Trip, à la francaiseAs an avid reader, during my teens, I consumed everything my library card would allow. My family lived “in the “country” far from school friends, so I faced long, solitary evenings and weekends, saved in large part by my books. Nothing on the printed page was beyond my interest. After…6 min read6 min read
Feb 14Member-onlyThe Elusive White Tiger in Ranthambore ForestSpoiler alert: we did not find him.6 min read6 min read
Jan 11Member-onlyA VICTORY IN THE ALZHEIMER AND DEMENTIA WARToday, January 11, 2023, I watched with near glee as my friend, Duffy, achieved success in her hand, brain, mind, and memory coordination. Dialing a phone number correctly. So simple a task. Duffy has her good days, not-so-good days, and some poor days smothered in her inability to accomplish the…2 min read2 min read
Jan 4Member-onlyA Bestie New Year ReunionA Bestie New Year Reunion. Duffy, my dear friend, has been my best friend since we first met in San Francisco more than one-half century ago. Her husband, Jack, and mine, Gino, were the two US Air Force medical residents in the Army program at Letterman General Hospital. Duffy, a…2 min read2 min read
Jan 1Member-onlyBreakfast at BallymaloeThinking back to our first stay at Ballymaloe, I searched for an update on the country house hotel buried deep in the Irish countryside; I needed an update that would help me recall the events of our visits. I found Facebook images without difficulty. …6 min read6 min read
Dec 11, 2022Member-onlyThe Blue-Eyed Conductor“Switzerland is within easy reach from Italy. The EuroCity train line has numerous daily connections from Milan to major Swiss cities such as Basel, Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano and Zurich. Venice, Bologna and Genoa offer direct connections to Switzerland as well.” Like just about everyone else, we postponed travel…8 min read8 min read
Nov 18, 2022Member-onlyA Couscous SundayCouscous, the culinary glue that has shaped our family’s celebratory occasions since the sixties serves as the rallying call to la table for important Narboni events. This semolina grain, a staple of North African cuisine, is produced from durum wheat. Couscous serves as the national dish of virtually every country…Couscous Preparation13 min readCouscous Preparation13 min read
Sep 28, 2022Member-onlyA time for reflection; thrust upon me by an upcoming birthday. I have the stories, some already on paper (computer) some still in my mind. I’ve tried a number of ways to bring them from my memory bank to a written state. Not completely successful, but as a work in progress, something to keep me off the streets.A really dangerous lack of computer skills keeps me from blending many photos with the stories, but I’ll keep on keepin’ on. Without further ado, here’s another episode or vignette on life through the lens of an extremely mature woman, glad to be alive, hoping for many more years and…4 min read4 min read
Sep 27, 2022Member-onlyA Time For ReflectionA time for reflection; thrust upon me by an upcoming birthday. I have the stories, some already on paper (computer) some still in my mind…4 min read4 min read
