Journal of a Sabbatical

December 22, 1998

every picture tells a story

The Newt Gingrich catnip doll is face down on the floor at the front door.

Remembered the light bulb for the office. 200 watts. Hard to find even in Super Stop and Shop. Waiting in line at the register with one 200 watt light bulb and an 8-pack of toilet paper, I spy a tabloid headline, "Monica's Gay Secret" under a photo of herself kissing a woman on the cheek. One of those black rectangles they use to disguise witnesses and suspects who haven't been charged yet covers the other woman's eyes. I start giggling. The guy waiting behind me looks at me, looks at the headline and smiles. C'mon! She's giving the woman a peck on the cheek! If you do that to an elderly aunt at a family gathering, or your mother at the airport, or a long lost cousin on her way to jail, it's polite. If you do it to some random woman at the White House you're a lesbian? How bizarre. The thought of buying the tabloid just to read that article flickered in my mind for about a nanosecond before I came to my senses.

Many errands later, I flick on the lights in the living/dining room. Two of them burn out with loud pops. Somehow, I should have known to stock up on 60-watt bulbs too. The wind has picked up considerably - the radio is proclaiming high wind warnings - and the remaining lights start to flicker but don't go out.

I got the annual Christmas picture of the nieces in yesterday's mail. Today's mail included a picture of Caroline Claflin dressed in a blue velvet royal robe and a gold crown. She's holding a dog on her lap. They're the only kid pics that arrived this year. I wonder where and when this tradition of annual Christmas kid pics started. It seems sort of odd to see just the kids, especially when your friendship is with the parents. Of course I treasure the niece pics and compare them from year to year. The major thing I noticed this year is that Andrea has changed a lot. Lizzy looks pretty much the same as last year but Andrea has made the transition from "little kid" to young girl. One look at the picture and you know she's not in the magic years anymore. They're both beautiful young girls now, with long hair and the full complement of teeth. As for the Caroline picture, I put it on my fridge next to the one of her grandmother (Ned's mother) holding a falcon. I'm just waiting for the next guest in my kitchen to ask why I have pictures of Ned's family on my fridge. I'm sure there's a story there somewhere.