My mind goes to a different place when I build models with Lego Technic and Mindstorms. This week, as I recover from surgery, a dose of Technic seemed like a good idea. I decided to work on my Lego Technic design aesthetic. Yoshihito Isogawa produces wonderful Technic books that demonstrate a pleasing balance of form… Continue reading Lego Technic Therapy
Category: Now-and-Then
Lost Stories
My mother-in-law has acquired a photo mat with 17 cutouts. 17 just happens to be the right number for her to be surrounded by baby photos of her children, her children’s partners, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchild. 16 babies, one matriarch. My partner’s photo is a vertical-format portrait, which means he’s deprived of his cranium… Continue reading Lost Stories
Veterans Day 2015
Today I cycled to Sheridan Veterans Memorial beside the Mississippi River in Northeast Minneapolis. The monument reflects on the cost of war, expresses hope for peace, and is even-handed about the conquerors and vanquished. The push to build this memorial came from veterans. It was dedicated just two years ago, so it is not a strong part… Continue reading Veterans Day 2015
Sometimes You Can Go Back
I’m pausing for a few days before I complete my 500-mile Walk Around Newcastle, a walk I started in 2010. The walk does not include Newcastle upon Tyne, the town where I grew up: after all, it’s a walk “around” Newcastle. Today, though, I’m pausing the walk, and wandering in Newcastle. Today’s central Newcastle upon… Continue reading Sometimes You Can Go Back
An Old Lady with Attitude
What is this? Surely it’s not a hat. I came across this while reorganizing our kitchen drawers. It’s a tea cozy, designed to keep a teapot warm. It was 1999. I was in Glasgow, Scotland, visiting my elderly aunt. Her elegantly dressed, equally ancient neighbor presented me with the tea cozy she had knitted. The… Continue reading An Old Lady with Attitude
My Long Journey to Ireland
I disliked history classes at my high school in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The focus on studying for examinations did not fit my learning style. The teaching style often reflected the teacher’s lack of interest in teaching. To be fair, I did not then have the life experiences to sufficiently understand the nuances of how… Continue reading My Long Journey to Ireland
Independent Scots
She stands resolutely in front of her home in the “mucky wee port” of Port Glasgow, Scotland. My Aunt Madge, helmet and gas mask at the ready, standing against the Nazi threat. The threat was real. Bombs rained down on the nearby shipyards, and on British, American, and Free French bases. My mother and aunt… Continue reading Independent Scots
Our State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair is a big deal. It runs for 10 days through Labor Day with a total attendance around 1.8 million. This morning, I was one of those attendees. I’m not one for crowds, or food on a stick, or animal competitions. But I do like to drop in on the Fair every… Continue reading Our State Fair
A Cold Beer in Passchendaele
World War 1 erupted 100 years ago. About 50 years ago, I decided WW1 was a travesty. I remember my father’s sadness and my mother’s rage when I announced my (paternal) grandfather died at Passchendaele for nothing. Teenagers are not known for tact, and I am not proud of that outburst. Man of the House… Continue reading A Cold Beer in Passchendaele
Travel Gear: Headphones
I rarely use headphones when traveling. On a long-haul, I prefer to read, snooze, or watch a movie in silence with subtitles turned on. I have yet to find comfortable, compact headphones. Back in 1980, when the Sony Walkman was introduced to the USA, the airlines were still handing out pneumatic headsets in Economy. These… Continue reading Travel Gear: Headphones