Vinyasa


I consider myself a novice when it comes to yoga, and I wouldn't really say that I have a regular "practice." I've gone to Bikram classes in the past, and lately have started going to Geo's power yoga when I can. Today I tried a Vinyasa flow class and loved it.

Vinyasa: the flow
between postures. The journey,
not just the end, counts.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

It's been said that a good man is hard to find. A good general contractor is even harder to find. I will refrain from ranting and raving here, but suffice it to say that we've got a problem with water seepage under our nearly new countertops and the responsible party is not taking responsibility. I realize that, in the scheme of things, this is not a terrible hardship. But significant repairs have to be done, I won't have a working kitchen sink for a week, and it's a bit of a pain. However, I'd like to give a shout-out to Frank Smart of Metalworks, whose work was not at fault here but who stepped in to help us anyway. Also, thanks to Steve Howard, our neighbor and a masonry contractor, who walked across the street several times to help me diagnose the problem and sort it all out. I don't really know how to turn this situation into poetry but I'll try:


Not my fault, Mrs. Sarah,
says the plumber,
examining the growing split
between steel counter top and sink.

The contractor chews his gum,
wrings his hands,
and throws the cabinet guy under the bus.

This is all vehrry...Meckey Mouse,
the metal fabricator says in his Scottish brogue,
referring to the plumbing seals
and waving his hands in the general direction
of the sink.
But I'll help yeh, he says,
and he does.



I Heart Boston


Some years ago, my friend Jennifer Anderson—the inspiration behind my daily poetry blog—gave me a set of beautiful cards that she had made and painted by hand, featuring verse from The Pillow Book of Sei Shõnagon. In her “pillow book”—or diary—the poet Sei Shõnagon recorded 185 observations of life in the Royal Japanese court during the last decade of the 10th century. These short poems, with titles like “Splendid Things” and “Things that Make One’s Heart Beat Faster,” are lovely, vivid snapshots of a real person’s life in a specific time and place. They remind me to “listen to my life” more closely, and to record memories of the places and the people who mean the most to me.

To that end, and since we’re in the middle of the NBA finals (which is, as most of you know, a contest between the LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics), I’ve been thinking a lot about the wonderful years my family spent living in the Boston area—during some of my college years and for many more after that. I now live in Laker territory, but will forever be a fan of all things Boston, including the Celtics. Here is my “pillow book” poem, a few memories of one of my favorite places:


The golden dome of the State House

seen through the car window on a rainy day.

Roasted pralines.

The cool museum interior on an August afternoon.

Girls in white, stepping out of the shadows,

in a Sargent portrait.

A perfect oyster that tastes like the sea.

Incense and song rising to the high, arched ceiling

of a brick church on Christmas Eve.

Packed pews; a spirited passing of the peace.

Bells ringing out in the cold, clear midnight air.

A snowy, collar-turned-up trudge

from an office tower at the end of the day.

A breathless sprint through North Station to catch the last train,

then the warmth and light of home.

Food, Love, Birthdays

Today was one of those sleepy, overcast June days that we know so well this time of year in Laguna. The beach didn’t look all that enticing on account of the marine layer. But later in the evening my tribe gathered for a fun, festive dinner at Casa Cassill to celebrate Tatum’s 12th birthday and Tyler’s 15th. After that, David and I dropped in on David Burchi’s 41st. It was a June birthday trifecta. The day started out kind of blah and ended with a bang. It would have been a crime to not indulge in pizza and homemade cupcakes and some good wine. So I did, and it was very good!

In the spirit of food, love and birthdays, a few favorite quotes and of course a little poetry:

You better cut the pizza into four slices, because I'm not hungry enough to eat six.

—Yogi Berra

Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.

—M.F.K. Fisher


kids, big and little

cupcakes and birthday candles

June gloom disappears