Archive for 2013

Autumnal Rapture

OK- it has been an amazing Fall.  I cannot bitch in the face of oncoming winter, because the weather gods have conspired to seduce me. I cannot remember a string of  Autumnal days with bluer skies and better temperatures.  The cool nights mean open window sleeping, which means early leaf blower mornings. I don’t mind... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
October 14, 2013 at 5:23 pm • 

Is Octoberfest the Wrong Theme for a First Birthday?

Is Octoberfest the Wrong Theme for a First Birthday?
Who cares?  The Maryfest has been held.   The first princess in the Roger Dahl line after 85 years of waiting is Mary Joliat Dahl.  She was born one year ago, on September 29th.  The occasion demanded a celebration. Mike and Kathryn live in a townhouse, and they wished to have a party for Mary’s... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
October 1, 2013 at 4:34 pm • 

The Paradox of Parenting

Here is a morsel of advice for Moms: You work hard to be the BEST MOM in the universe. You may be a wondrous business person. Your dinners may be Julia Child caliber. Your home may be pristine. Your child may be enriched in cultural and educational ways. Your calendar may be organized with no... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
September 25, 2013 at 10:28 pm • 
Advertisement:

No hope was left in sight....

Janus is the Roman god with two faces: he looks to the future, he looks to the past, all in one moment.  He observes the dichotomy of life: comings and goings, all occurring at once. Last night my namesake god presided at a gathering of my friends. He was most unwelcome. The Bookbags had scheduled... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
September 18, 2013 at 4:22 pm • 

Harvest Days-Humbug

I wish I was one of those people who loved Fall. I am not. Fall color, cider, apple crisp- they are distractions. Evil is ahead. When I was younger, September meant school and the exceptional terror that the Sisters of Charity  doled out. How to avoid corporal punishment crossed my mind. We went to a... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
September 17, 2013 at 5:33 pm • 

Let up on Charlie Trotter

I make my living off the Evening News  Just give me something-something I can use  People love it when you lose….. This is just an off the cuff blurb about the Charlie Trotter situation last week.  I have never met the chef, never sat at the Chef’s table, never stepped into his restaurant. I have... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
September 5, 2013 at 4:31 pm • 
Advertisement:

Travels with Mabel

Mabel is not my Dog of a Lifetime. That is Chamois, my Golden Retriever, best dog ever. Mabel is, however, the dog of my middle years. She is almost 12. (You do the dog years math) We have aged together.  That counts for a great deal. We are grafted. Among other things, we both love... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
August 30, 2013 at 11:32 am • 

For Better or Worse, Pt.2

For Better or Worse, Pt.2
Two Minds, One Heart Thirty five years ago I inscribed Steve’s wedding band with that platitude.  It seemed to acknowledge that we came from differing families, geographies, goals, and personalities, but were committed to forging a singular route through life. That was the folly of a young woman. If marriage is really about maintaining all... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
August 18, 2013 at 6:35 pm • 

For Better or Worse...Part 1

This weekend found me in my homeland, Detroit,   for a momentously happy occasion. My brother Paul’s beautiful daughter Jillian Joliat was married to Rob Dare. It is the culmination of a five year courtship, punctuated by distances and adaptation.  The marriage will not change that: Rob will finish law school in Pittsburgh and Jillian... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
August 12, 2013 at 6:54 pm • 
Advertisement:

Janet's Punchlist for the Dog Days

1.  Get Netflix and watch Orange is the New Black.  This show was the subject of a July watchathon for the husband and myself.  It is set in a womens’s prison, based on a true story, chock full of a rainbow coalition of interesting inmates.  You judge them, fear them, disrespect them, learn their backstories... Read more »
By Janet Dahl,
August 8, 2013 at 4:01 pm •