I strolled into the 12-foot orbit of my neighbor this morning and asked him how his family was passing the time. "We're just trying to find ways to help," he said, from a generous social distance. This is my extremely handy neighbor, the one with lots of tools. You may remember Philip Huizinga from Buttercup's … Continue reading HoPPE for Health
The word essential is rattling around in my brain these days. On one hand, I’m prioritizing essential groceries; on the other hand, the Safer at Home order is enumerating essential services that can still operate in Nashville during this two-week lockdown to flatten the curve. Coffee, dark chocolate and toilet paper comprise one list, while health … Continue reading This Time is of the Essential
As my teenage sons encounter poetry in school, they greet the imposter with more hostility than hospitality. In an effort to persuade them that poetry is a gift and not a conspiracy to siphon GPA points, I recently talked to them about one of my favorite poets, William Carlos Williams. WCW first won my affection … Continue reading Poetry in Motion
For Christmas, I gave goats to the Foxes. More precisely, I gave my family a morning of goat yoga, which, it turns out, is a real thing, and not just for hungover bachelorettes killing time before the next pedal tavern. At Shenanigoats in Nashville, goat yoga takes place in a concrete-floor warehouse studio, where a … Continue reading My G.O.A.T. Gift
The Iris Tectorum are exquisite this spring. Lilac and lush, with flat, fan-shaped leaves and intricate petals worthy of orchids, Tectorum are more petite than the great bearded specimens of the Tennessee state flower. The blooms in my yard look like they have been plucked from a minor Van Gogh. I suspect their current flamboyance comes courtesy … Continue reading The Flowery Language of Construction
Let me just say that starting a day at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens is a rare treat and privilege. For about the last month, I have weaseled my way onto the exquisite grounds early in the morning, before crowds arrive, to glimpse progress of Cheekwood's Storybook Houses exhibit, which opens to the public today. For … Continue reading SOME TERRIFIC RADIANT Fun at Cheekwood
When I was growing up in Nashville, there was an iconic anti-littering commercial featuring an unsavory motorist chucking garbage out of a jalopy and a song about "Tennessee Trash" playing in the background. In today's inclusive world, I don't suspect you could air a public service announcement equating a human to trash--even as double-entendre. Even … Continue reading A Little on the Trashy Side
Once upon a time, when I was in technical college, I won a car. I'll tell you all about it some day, but for now let me just say I highly recommend winning a car. In fact, here's a chance to do just that: Nashville Tree Foundation is raffling off a 2019 Subaru Forester...get it? … Continue reading Forester for the Trees
Nashville artist Susan Shockley, longtime curator of the Parthenon Museum, makes surrealist drawings that often incorporate images of strike plates. Yes, strike plates, the little metal thingies on door jambs, that door knob assemblies bump against and click into. Susan is delightfully secretive about the meanings of recurring shapes in her work, as you can … Continue reading Consider it Handled
My dog is living her best life. According to @lulu_fox123 on Instagram, a terrier's life is equal parts snuggling and cuddling, with frequent interruptions to be adored and spoiled. Today, she emerged from under the duvet for just long enough to get a manicure. @lulu_fox123 is not much for getting her nails clipped, because she … Continue reading Crossroads Campus: A Day in a Dog’s Life
Build Me Up, Buttercup 