Monthly Archives: May 2012
Nan Britton
July 1999 Life holds wonderful surprises. At the Skaneateles Library book sale this morning, I was in the tent, browsing the picked-over tables in the sale’s final hours, and came upon a book whose dark binding and cover titles had faded to the point of no return. But I was curious, picked it up, and […]
Moving to Skaneateles
Aug. 31 – Sept. 10, 1998 It started, I think, with a feeling of being stuck. Abbie was in a school where crowd control was the priority, and violence was frequent. My advertising job looked tenuous, and the owners spoke of retiring in five years. As I explored my options, a local competitor offered me […]
Upscale
October 14, 2003 My dentist’s office is just outside the village, about a 10 minute walk from where I work on Route 20. Much of the walk is past farmers’ fields and just plain fields. Walking along the roadside, I have the leisure and inclination to observe the birds, the foliage, the litter and the […]
Mining
June 6, 2005 I don’t enjoy mowing, and because I use a push mower, a reel mower, I have to mow often, before the grass gets too long. One rainy weekend and I’m in trouble. So I decided to cut my work in half by reframing expectations and renaming the backyard “the meadow.” I mowed […]
The Mailboat Letter
This was written before we had any clue that we might move to Skaneateles. September 5, 1996 I had the day off last Friday, and it struck us that it would be a perfect day to ride the Mail Boat on Skaneateles Lake. One of my jobs at work is to write nice things about […]
Lying
“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among breathren.” — Proverbs […]
Lucy the Goose
October 2000 Laurie was in Europe with her mother and sister, and Abbie was getting ready for bed. It was 10:30 at night, and I felt like I needed a walk. After reassuring Abbie that I was not losing my mind, I set out. On a week night, Skaneateles is one of the quietest places […]
Litter
August 15, 2005 I am certain that somewhere in Skaneateles lives a future U.S. Secretary of the Interior. It is presently a post that calls for a “the world is my wastebasket” mentality, and I see it all around me when walking my dog in Austin Park. Besides collecting his little art works, I also […]
Keeping Time
September 2000 My mother gave me my first watch when I went to Kenmore Junior High. Between classes, as I clung to the walls like a lab mouse, I continually scratched and scuffed the plastic crystal on the hall lockers. By the eighth grade, I couldn’t see the hands anymore. But every classroom had a […]
Jury Duty
May 2001 The last time I was summoned to the Onondaga County Courthouse for jury duty, I got as far as the “voir dire.” The defendant’s lawyer asked, “What newspaper do you read?” I said, “The New York Ti…” “Excused,” he said. Last month, I didn’t even get that far, and it’s probably just as […]
Faithful Readers 