Monthly Archives: May 2012
Evelyn
January 2009 Evelyn was a giant, the first I ever met. She was my grandmother’s cleaning lady. Before I was old enough for school, I went with my mother to Grandma’s house every week, and we often went on cleaning day. Evelyn wore faded house dresses, and slippers that showed her bare heels. Her arms […]
Harry’s Three Vacations
August 13, 2006 This is a story about Harry Cross, who I worked with at a civilian agency when I was in the Air Force. Harry went to the dentist every six months, had perfect teeth. He would flash a toothy smile when returning from his check-up and say, “Perfect.” But he also prided himself […]
F.X. Matt
January 17, 2001 F.X. Matt II died yesterday. He was a brewer, a poet, a reader and a gentleman, and my life is richer for having known him. We met when I was writing advertising copy for an agency that had the F.X. Matt Brewing Company account. I was touted to him as someone who […]
Joy Barlow
It is difficult to imagine life without Joy Barlow. In The Big Sleep (1946) she played the cabbie who gave Philip Marlowe a lift, and the exchange between Barlow and Humphrey Bogart is the stuff that dreams are made of. (She said, “Listen, if you ever need a ride again…” “Day or night?” “Night. I […]
My Desert Island Library
Updated April 20, 2012 These are the people that I, as a reader, watcher and listener, have come to treasure. I place them here in alphabetical order, because it would be too hard to rank them, and, after all, this is not a race. Plus, the alphabet provides some amusing pairings. Some writers are special […]
Deckoupage
May 27, 2009 Every summer, I have to paint our porch and deck with Olympic Wedgwood Blue. To begin, I need a sunny weekend and a gallon of the paint from Lowe’s, where I have to pass an annual Trial by Sales Clerk. Last summer, the paint man said flatly, “They don’t make that color.” […]
The Horse in Brewing History
Horses have played two important roles in the history of brewing, one very public, and one very private. Publicly, we are all familiar with the beauty and power displayed by a team of draft horses, dazzling our eyes with polished brasses and shaking the ground under our feet as they pass. But behind the scenes, […]
Beer in the Movies
With no lines to memorize or dues to pay, beer occupies an enviable position in the movie industry. When directors want to make a point without troublesome dialogue or narration, they call for beer. Less than a star but more than a prop, beer is a time-honored player on the silver screen. Beer has a […]
Adventures in Genealogy
:: My Father’s Side: Winship Family :: Lyonel (Lyonnel) Winship was born in 1587 in Wilton Hall, England and died in 1637 in Walden, England. Edward Winship (1) (March 13, 1613 – December 2, 1688) was the youngest son of Lyonel’s five children. He was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, and died in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He […]
Talent
March 3, 2009 We had dinner with friends on Saturday and for after-dinner entertainment, their dog Taylor played the piano. I’m sure this kind of thing was common before television, the family in the living room, gathered around the old upright. But this is 2009 and perhaps that explains why I was not expecting Taylor’s […]
Faithful Readers 