Sunny Isles Beach – that’s Санни Айлс Бич (Sanni Ayles Bich) to the locals. Namely, the Russians. You could also call it “Moscow by the Sea” or “Odessa on the Intracoastal.” In 2000 7.7% of the population had Russian as their first language. By 2010 it was nearly 10%. Now,... read more
The title image is the view of Biscayne Bay from the second-floor porch of The Barnacle. The screen makes the view look like a postcard. It isn’t! The Barnacle is the oldest house in Miami-Dade County still in its original location. It once sat on 40 acres but now has... read more
Title image: Cape Florida Lighthouse, Key Biscayne. Its active dates were 1828 to 1875. It became part of a state park in 1966. Key Biscayne: Going There Being in Miami since August and living in Coconut Grove, I’ve had many a Key Biscayne sighting. Here’s a view of it across... read more
Title image: Brandi Baldwin who teaches Sattva Yoga at Dharma Yoga Studio. Her classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30. The address of the yoga studio is 3170 Commodore Plaza, Coconut Grove, Miami. I lucked out when I discovered Dharma Yoga Studio. They have an unlimited monthly fee of $165.... read more
Yesterday I heard the word ‘remoralize‘ for the first time in my life. Or, at least, I heard it as if it were the first time. A friend was talking about politics, in particular voting, and said that people needed to be remoralized. She then excused herself by saying, “I... read more
The title image is of one of the more classic views of Durham: Duke Chapel, West Campus. But I now have a unique angle on these views. This shot of the chapel is from my condo in One City Center. To get the frame I wanted I enlarged the image... read more
Gotta love the nice round New Year 2020. So full of possibilities! On January 1, I posted New Year’s Resolutions 2019: A Writer’s List. I approached my resolutions as gifts to myself. This morning I got up and reread what I wrote a year ago. I had three categories: Community,... read more
I first became aware that the worst ‘moist’ was a thing in 2011 or 2012. Moist: Then I was teaching a first-year seminar in the Focus Program at Duke University which means that the students in the class were all about eighteen years old. One the day the word ‘moist’... read more
Singular they splashed into the news on December 9 when Merriam-Webster declared they the word of the year. Of interest to the dictionary makers is the use of singular they to refer to a person whose gender identity is nonbinary, who does not identify as either he or she. Singular... read more
This week I visited Montrose Gardens. It’s located at 320 St. Mary’s Road in Hillsborough, North Carolina. I made my appointment for Tuesday, not knowing it would be a rainy, overcast day. But as a world traveler I take the weather as it comes. And a garden in winter, even... read more
