3 days agoJewelry in the flour jar and other lost traditionsI like it when I learn of old tricks-of-the-trade that were once commonly used by people who needed a shortcut or something to hide. Like a flask of liquor in a Bible. I’ve always wondered when this tradition began and how it might have become one of those open secrets…Tradition3 min read
May 8Calling something old is a sign of respectThere is something about old things that make me happy. Some call these old things vintage or classic. I like to call them old. Saying the word old is, well old. It’s not considered a nice word anymore but it provides for a better description to something. It tells you…Old Age3 min read
Apr 30The same skies aboveOn Saturday afternoons, I have the blessing of volunteering at a migrant center in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. The center is a place for people who are seeking asylum or who have recently been deported. They can have a temporary stay, food, and shelter. While they are there, they find…Poem3 min read
Apr 25Weekly visits to panaderia remind me of grandpaWhen I go to the panaderia (bakery) on Thursday evenings to get my pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread), I think about my maternal grandfather who once owned and operated a panaderia in Agua Prieta. It was called Letty’s, named after my mother. I never went to it and never have…Bread3 min read
Apr 16Everyday things I like to see and experienceThere are some things that I like to experience when I go to restaurants, visit new places, or simply make my way through the workday. We all have our favorite things to see and do. Without them, we feel like life is just passing by us without feeling, without those…Life3 min read
Apr 2What Gerardo taught me while waiting in lineGerardo is a window washer. He works the line of cars each night at the “garita” as commuters make their way back into the United States from Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. I cross about three times a week and expect to see him there, rain or shine. When the line…Mexico3 min read
Mar 27Meeting Marianne from Little ItalyIn a small, corner pizzeria, on a regular looking street, surrounded by row houses in the Little Italy section of Baltimore, I met a lady named Marianne Campanelli. Three of us, in town for a work conference, walked in to have a bite. We expected to walk into a trendy…Italian3 min read
Mar 20Learning about yourself by listening to othersMy birthday is coming up in a couple of months and at this time each year I become a little reflective. I think about what I know today that I didn’t know last year, or a few years ago. A lot of what I now know came to me through…People3 min read
Mar 13Finding yourself in places you’ve never visitedI’ve been thinking about places I want to visit simply because I haven’t been to them. Like Alburg, New York. I don’t know much about it but I have a friend that grew up there, and he always smiles when he’s telling stories of his youth. He once showed me…Travel3 min read
Mar 5Tattoos and coffee tell a story of survivalI met a guy named Jaime this week. The second we sat down he began to tell me his life story. I didn’t ask, but for some reason he felt like telling it. I knew he had a story to tell. We all do. With him; however, he seemed to…Coffee3 min read
