I am aware of the extent to which grilling and manliness go hand in hand. By that account, as well as others, it appears that I fall short with respect to any acceptable measure of masculinity. Since I have never allowed specious stereotypes to stand in my way or diminish my sense of self, so be it. Men, if grilling satisfies some inner need, be my guest.…
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richard derosa
Gardening is a labor of love, but over time the labor part trumps the love part—knees ache faster, arthritic digits stiffen, lower backs get creaky. We are committed to sitting down and making the hard cuts. We no longer need the quantities we’ve become accustomed to.…
The other thing those lovely red birds reminded me of was the impossibility of ever really understanding what we refer to as the “other.” We could scrutinize one another for an infinity of lifetimes and never bridge the gaps that separate us.…
One news tidbit today had to do with how much money each of the presidential candidates has amassed. I gave up donating money to political campaigns some time ago. I would rather donate my money to organizations that focus on urgent needs, such as hunger and eradicating malaria.…
There are all kinds of warfare. The ideological and political warfare raging across our country these days is as disturbing as it is, unfortunately, quite predictable.…
Years ago, when birding in Costa Rica, I remember the excitement of seeing my first Wilson’s warbler. I knew what it looked like, its habitat and feeding preferences, and with the help of an experienced guide was able to see one for several minutes up close.…
Over the past several weeks, as we have been busy attending to pre-winter chores in our gardens, one word has repeatedly come to mind: waste. We try to minimize our waste stream up here on the hill. But I was thinking of how wasteful we have become in our relations with one another.…
I am often asked how things are going up here on the hill. My usual answer is: pretty well. I do not get to the village often. And when I do it is not rare, when bumping into a friend, to have the occasion referred to as a “sighting.”…
Will the center hold? Good question. Ever since Yeats posed that question in his great poem, “The Second Coming,” I have felt that, yes, despite there being so many reasons for pessimism, the argument in favor of optimism held greater sway. That is still the only reasonable alternative. The competing choice leads down too dark a road to contemplate. Stephen Pinker argues that we have the intellectual and technological skills we need to solve even the most urgent problems that…
Hawthorn Hill Journal by Richard deRosa Getting Back to Home Soil Several days ago, a friend sent a picture of the hill from our deck. Prominent in the foreground is our vegetable garden. Despite its dormant state, it awakened many memories and hopes for the future. It also reminded me of how anxious I am to be home and get my hands into the very rich soil that I have nourished with organic materials so diligently over the years. Curious,…
