It was necessary for ambiance and the three Cs… — I owned a coffeehouse, in an area we playfully called “The Yale Grad School Ghetto.” A beautiful neighborhood, on the rim of Yale’s campus. It was a coffeehouse in the tradition of coffeehouses where people came in to drink great coffee but also sit and passionately discuss local and global…

Not Traditional, just delicious A recipe featured at “Sweets Unlimited” my upscale baking business. Traditional Italian Anginette Cookies are firm and a little dry so I rewrote the recipe. These are moist, and tender like tiny cakes. A Note: The tiny marks in front of the platter are from the…

The Incident In The Roma Termini — On my first trip to Europe, I didn’t expect to be held at bayonet point. Allen and I just departed the Ferry from Athens, arriving at the Brindisi railway station, where we boarded the overnight train to Rome. The train was filling up so Allen asked me to stay with…

Practice, Consistency, and Creativity I’ve always been creative, but I was under the impression that to paint, draw or write well, it was necessary to have a particular gene giving all the credit to an artist’s genetics. I would hang out at art supply stores, bookstores, and anywhere creativity shines…

Therese Raquin — Many years ago, I read Therese Raquin by Emile Zola. I’ve forgotten most of it now, except for the morgue scene. That scene has stayed with me for twenty-five years. It stands out because it was the only time a scene was so well written, so observed that after reading…

Without warning this storm almost swallowed our boat, here’s what happened. Alan, Nick, Maureen, and I decided to take the boat to the Island of Skopelos for a picnic. The rays of the sun were spattering golden light across the water, making it glisten. What a day for a sail…

Here’s what I remember — Every year I’d plan a visit to Montreal during the Film Festival du Monde, when the city was ablaze with everything cinema. I loved every minute. I’d ride the Montrealer to St. Alban’s, where border control agents would come on board to check passports; from there, the train would move…

This is what happened. — Driving manuals taught us when stopping at a light at a cross street, never block the intersection, but you see people doing this all the time. I don’t follow all the driving rules but this one I feel is important. My grandson attended a high school 15 miles from home…

Telling a great story and writing that story down uses two different skill sets. — I’ve been writing on Medium for two years now and love this platform, but I noticed I struggled when writing a story vs. telling that same story. The writing was more challenging so I consulted a friend who is an excellent writer to begin to unearth the reason. …