Category Archives: Uncategorized

Thievery, nothing short of old-fashioned thievery, took place right in front of that fountain. The setting: Elon University, Elon, North Carolina. The occasion: Emily’s graduation. The object of interest: The ice sculpture. Who would have done such a thing? There damnable deed demanded due process. But that was in the past and in February, weContinue reading “College Carolina”

Just seeing the photos makes you feel like you’ve stepped into an old-fashioned Santa Clause fairytale. Idaho in winter is feet of snow piled outside a handmade log cabin, sturdy and cozy against the arctic temperatures, a fire blazing inside and stockings hung with care. The Biggar girls grew up visiting Granny O there, andContinue reading “Marley and the Art of Wintering”

Tatum’s highlights: lunch at Pomona, an Italian restaurant in the village; sitting on the beach in La Jolla; walking around UC Santa Barbara with Mom. It must be in the blood, this feeling of being drawn to the vast expanse of California coastal blue views. At first I was disappointed that Tatum’s spring break inContinue reading “A College Gander, a 101 Meander”

It must be in the blood, this feeling of being drawn to the vast expanse of California coastal blue views. At first I was disappointed that Tatum’s spring break in mid March didn’t align with Clara’s, Finn’s and Bridget’s at the end of March—we had planned to reprise the prior California college trip for theseContinue reading “Tour de Prance: Tatum in California”

I know it’s post season for a Christmas post, but I can’t let the moment go unnoticed. One of the most fun and funniest nights we’ve had all year was our December 16 Christmas Eve with Dad and Mary Ellen. We wanted to celebrate with them before leaving for France, so they came to ourContinue reading “Christmas 1: Poppy, Grams and the Noël Hot Dog”

Aix…so many words and so little time. We had an aixcellent time, the food was aixemplary, and bring together for Christmas was a joy par aixcellance. Okay, great, thanks—I got that out of my system. Originally, Kevin and I had wanted to have the family visit Delhi for Christmas, but we couldn’t find affordable ticketsContinue reading “Christmas 2: Christmas par Aixcellance”

After years of staying put, and kind of going kaput, we traveled to Paris not once but twice within the year, within a month. (And I went to Pakistan too—a banner year, travel wise.) For the kids, it was their first trip overseas since returning from Indonesia. Paris provided a circle, being our launching padContinue reading “Escargot and the Eiffel Tower: Paris in Winter”

Getting Finn to celebrate Finn is a quixotic climb. Even getting him to acknowledge he was born is challenging. He continues to be modest, to say the least, and anti attention. So we mainly celebrated the 15th birthday with a low-key family affair. Tatum couldn’t be there because of school but joined by phone. KevinContinue reading “Fun Finn, 15 and Focused”

Clara turned 15! Theoretically, anyway, since we have continued the tradition of giving each twin a birthday that does not compete with the other’s or Jesus‘s cake day—so Clara’s birthday this year was on December 1. With besties Georgette and Marley, we had some fine dining at the famous Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown, staying warmContinue reading “Quizzical Clara’s Quinceañera”

I haven’t posted in such a long time, and I’ve been trying to plumb my little spirit to figure out why. Perhaps the combination of adolescent outrage at uncurated photos and news about them shared; a sense that the inside of my mind is like a swirl cone from the rundown boardwalk ice cream shopContinue reading “Slippers, Homecoming and all that junk: An introduction to high school”