Mom went one way; I went the other. We had travelled to Buffalo for my brother’s wedding; my new sister-in-law was from Buffalo, or as he used to say when introducing her pre-wedding, “Most of my friends are from human parents.” Clint, who had moved to L.A. from our Houston hometown, in 1978, was a budding stand-up comedian, and I helped write his act. Thankfully, I can’t (and won’t) claim that one!
I joke that I can shop in a black hole. Given, the closest I’ve come to proving this theory is finding a thrift store in the wilds of southeast Alaska. But you get the idea: I am a very good shopper. Being a good shopper is different from being a big shopper. The satisfaction I get from the retail game has nothing to do with what I buy, but what I see.
The dunnock is the Cinderella of the bird world. Sweeping up underneath the other birds, and always missing out on the celebrity invitations (try finding a dunnock-themed Christmas card). However, like the robins and wrens, dunnocks are all around us, and they bring some welcome music to the winter months. The sweet, high-pitched stream of notes sounds somewhat thin, almost fragile. It can be most noticeable on bright, frosty days, when its crystalline qualities somehow complement the weather conditions.
It’s been said there’s nothing magical about January 1, but to that I say no, no, no! I feel it. Don’t you? I love the hope and the ✨magic✨ of this time of year. It’s the perfect slow time for reflection and planning — full of excitement and anticipation for a fresh start. I don’t feel this way any other time of year, so digging in during these lost days between Christmas and New Year feels perfect.
It was announced earlier this month that frontline staff at Youth Pride, Inc. (YPI), a Providence-based non-profit that provides direct service, support, advocacy, and education to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, had voted overwhelmingly to join SEIU 1199NE, but following that announcement, say workers, management “has decided to take active, aggressive measures to either discredit, disincentivize, or coerce people from working together to form an organization which they have the right to do under United States law.