Learn about the Japanese Proverb and welcome the New Year with thoughts on Kawaguchi's book, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, time travel, and the impact of one encounter with President Carter.

How long does it take for a snow flake to reach the ground? Poetry in winter and the end of year muse. Poetry for emergencies.

Giving Thanks is a ritual I look forward at Thanksgiving and one I stop to reflect on throughout the year. A text I received from a friend made me stop and consider the role of civility.

A text I received from a friend made me stop and consider the role of civility today.

Solitude and loneliness have been on my mind when this page came up in my reading. Thoughtful reflection on solitude: learning how and why to embrace it with insight from Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. 1 Book and series rec.

I'm not superstitious. BUT, numbers and patterns fascinate me, such as the modern use of 11:11 to make a wish. Why? Learn what the angel number, the armistice, and Veterans Day have in common.

On the Connecticut Polls today and what the example of one elderly woman--who fled the communist take-over of Saigon--can each us about elections.

On Gay Street in Baltimore on the way to Johnny's for dinner, I saw a large woman on the sidewalk, squatting at the wall. Poetry for Emergencies, 1 poem, a bit of Harry Potter, a bit of Poe, and a dream from the US Poet Laureate.

A curious thing happened last week. Learn of marigolds, of love, and of the unforgettable character an author writes about, Elzeard Bouffier. A story rejected by editors then printed and shared in languages the world over.

"It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

On marigolds, on love, 1 book rec.

True story vs story and fact vs fiction; take a ride to Oklahoma and visit Whiskey 918. And, meet Macabea in Clarice Lispector's masterpiece, The Hour of the Star. 2 Book recs; On poverty; On music; Writer's Toolbox, ages 9 to 99