“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac   I went for a pedicure the other day, to lessen the back-breaking monotony of packing. The color I chose was a rather nice frosted pale peach. I didn’t realize [...]

Welcome back, loyal readers and hello, newcomers! Sorry to have been away for so long. Probably you haven’t even noticed, but it’s been nearly two months since my last confession, er, posting. As my friend David said, I have been muggled. Twice. Taken down by computer meanies who want to get into my system and [...]

The Changing Light   The changing light at San Francisco is none of your East Coast light none of your pearly light of Paris The light of San Francisco is a sea light an island light And the light of fog blanketing the hills drifting in at night through the Golden Gate to lie on [...]

The sunflower is mine, in a way. — Vincent van Gogh     And who could argue with this? Of course it is Vincent’s. But sunflowers are also my favorite flower. There’s nothing like driving through Tuscany or Umbria and seeing acres and acres of them dancing in the light breeze. They look so cheery [...]

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. — Groucho Marx   My dog, Maxine, always wanted me to start a blog post like that. She’s got quite a sense of humor. But April being National Poetry Month and tonight being World Book [...]

… Me? I’m not off for anywhere at all. Sometimes I wander out of beaten ways Half looking for the orchid Calypso. — Robert Frost, “An Encounter”    The city of Richmond, Virginia includes an array of treasures and the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is surely one of them. Located just a few minutes outside [...]

No matter how far we travel, the memories will follow in the baggage car. — August Strindberg, Miss Julie     Creepy fact? Tim’s father, whom I never met, died on my birthday. My mother, whom Tim never met, died on his birthday. So each year, August 8 and February 6 come and go with [...]

Here’s an oldie but a goodie. Did La Befana come to your house this year? Now it’s time to take down the tree in the Dini-Jenkins house . . . Buon Anno a tutti!   When I was a kid, we celebrated Christmas on December 25. Santa Claus came down the chimney (I never knew [...]

Countin’ the cars on the New Jersey turnpike They’ve all come to look for America, all come to look for America — Paul Simon     I blame this on the self-proclaimed “cultural concierge” Jesse Kornbluth. If you don’t follow his remarkable blog, Headbutler, stop reading this right now and sign up. There. Much better. Jesse’s [...]

Happy Columbus Day! I am an Italian-American — Angelo Bianchi, Esq., 1982 I am an Italian-American. My roots are deep in an ancient soil, drenched by the Mediterranean sun, and watered by pure streams from snow capped mountains. I am enriched by thousands of years of culture. My hands are those of the mason, the artist, [...]