RattleBag and Rhubarb

All for Nothing

Hands down, this is the best book I've read all year: All For Nothing by Walter Kempowski.  It's the bitter…

3 years ago

Four Little Girls

Carole Robertson (14), Carol Denise McNair (11), Addie Mae Collins (14), and Cynthia Wesley (14) died on September 15, 1963,…

3 years ago

The Ice Caves and the Giant’s Ledges

There's a stretch on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail just south of the Binnewater Kilns parking lot in Rosendale that…

3 years ago

Back-to-School: First Grade

First Grade by Ron Kortgee Until then, every forest had wolves in it, we thought it would be fun to…

3 years ago

One Day in Paris 1919

We're not likely to be flying anywhere anytime soon so here's the next best thing: A trip back in time…

3 years ago

Mist on the River

Thick mist on the Hudson this morning. No sign of the water or either bank from the center of the…

3 years ago

What Shall I Love if Not the Enigma?

Digging into the women writers of WW2 led me to the short stories of Anna Kavan whose life and work…

3 years ago

Cat Pandering: A New level

As cats age - the leaping and jumping that once was so effortless is more of a struggle. You may…

3 years ago

On the Border: The Odd Uneven Time of August

“I love borders. August is the border between summer and autumn; it is the most beautiful month I know. Twilight…

3 years ago

Danger comes: Tove Jansson and The Island

The second half of: “The Island,”  by Tove Jansson. Part one is here. It’s a rickety structure, one pays for…

3 years ago