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Words: good, bad, and ugly
Picky, I know. There are some words and phrases to which I’m allergic. I don’t sneeze when I come across them, but I do shudder. The first is ‘vast majority’ because I rarely see the latter word without the former … Continue reading
Posted in MUSINGS, Uncategorized, writing
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Marmalade adventures: If at first you fail, use pectin
Each year when the seville oranges arrive, usually in January, our family tradition is to make orange marmalade. Until this year I thought I was getting the hang of it. This time I made a small change in the recipe. … Continue reading
Posted in Food and Cooking, MUSINGS, Uncategorized
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You are never too old
As I approach my 87th birthday and occasionally protest that I am too old to do one thing or another, some people argue that this is never true. Generally, I disagree because as I was once a physician, I know … Continue reading
D H Lawrence’s Rananim: another failed Utopia
Originally posted on Richard Smith's non-medical blogs:
During the First World War D H Lawrence wanted to found a society of friends with whom he could “sail away from the world at war and found a little colony.” He…
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My musical career
When I turned 50 I was on sabbatical in London, England. One of our sons – an excellent pianist – was a final year student at Pimlico secondary school. We chose Pimlico because it had a highly-regarded music program. The … Continue reading
Boxing Day Cooking: tribulations and triumph
The holidays are nearly over. Xmas turkey was lovely, but I did not have any cooking responsibilities. Later, however, for a belated Boxing Day meal, I did. Ambitiously I set out to do roast beef, Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, Plum … Continue reading
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Soft boiled eggs
I know this will seem silly for some, but the point is this: I am 86 years old and recently discovered that I was not sure how to soft boil an egg. I thought it would be a kind gesture … Continue reading
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“Unelectable, dirty old man, interfaith, talking-book”
What do these words have in common? If you know, I am 99% certain you have been browsing the web as I did and discovered the year these words – and many others- were accepted into the Merriam-Webster dictionary. When … Continue reading
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Dad’s not-so-good, not-so-bad day
It started with a bad dream that kept me awake (bad). Later, I fell back asleep and slept till after 10 (good). When I came downstairs I found two old lottery tickets (good). Neither was a winner (bad). Lis texted … Continue reading
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Mystery partly solved
For those who share my frustration and bewilderment about where socks go, I have a partial solution. I asked our cleaning lady, Maria, to keep an eye peeled. She came up from the basement a while later, triumphant holding the … Continue reading
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