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Alert: Blizzard Warning issued February 21 at 12:29PM EST until February 24 at 7:00AM EST by NWS Boston/Norton MA A blizzard warning is in effect for your area from 4 PM Sunday to 7 AM Tuesday EST, with expected snow accumulation between 1 and 2 feet and winds gusting up to 60 mph. Summarized by Yahoo Scout Was this message summary helpful? To: me · Sat, Feb 21 at 12:35 PM ⚠️ Blizzard Warning In Your Area Blizzard Warning issued February 21 at 12:29PM EST until February 24 at 7:00AM EST by NWS Boston/Norton MA BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM SUNDAY TO 7 AM EST TUESDAY Instruction: Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. Description: * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 1 and 2 feet. Winds gusting as high as 60 mph. * WHERE...Portions of eastern, northeastern, and southeastern Massachusetts and northern and southern Rhode Island. This includes Boston to Providence corridor. * WHEN...From 4 PM Sunday to 7 AM EST Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Visibilities may drop below 1/4 mile due to falling and blowing snow. The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs may down power lines and could cause power outages. Whiteout conditions are expected and will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions will impact the Monday morning and evening commutes. Strong winds could cause tree damage.
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Lulu's back in Town
In early January the Blackstone MA animal rescue officer received a call about a dog someone needed to drop off. "Sorry, but you're outside our jurisdiction," was the reply. Because the caller lived in Woonsocket, they were told they needed to go to Woonsocket's facility. But because the Woonsocket animal control building is under construction, they would have to drop the dog at the Woonsocket Police Department. The people were too scared to do that so they drove to Blackstone, just a mile away, and let the dog loose.
Soon after, the Blackstone animal rescue officers, Kevin and Susan, started receiving calls from residents about a loose dog, and they went out and picked her up. I saw her picture and immediately filled out an application for adoption. After waiting the allotted days without being claimed, she was brought to Tufts for spaying and vaccines and a microchip. I went to meet her when she was allowed to be adopted and then Bill met her and then Romeo dog met her. We adopted her February 1st, and decided to name her Lulu.
She and Romeo are becoming good friends. We took Lulu for her lyme and lepto shots part one of two and fecal test this week. She is being treated for the Giardia parasite common at kennels.
We love her!
I have three treasures that I cherish and hold dear. The first is love, the second is moderation, the third is humility. With love one is fearless. With moderation one is abundant. With humility one can fill the highest position. Now if one is fearless but has no love, abundant but has no moderation, rises up but has no humility, surely he is doomed. Lao Tzu
Friday, February 20, 2026
I was walking my dogs on Montcalm Avenue in Blackstone Massachusetts and the trash bins were on the street today. I tossed in the poop bag and an empty plastic yogurt container I picked up from the sidewalk. The surveillance camera shouted at me, Get the fuck away from my trash! I have met the folks and dog who live there. No cars were in the driveway so someone was shouting at me from a remote location. Fascinating. Cowardly.
I had never met a Briard dog until just now in the waiting room at the vet's office. Apparently Thomas Jefferson had them. They are French herding dogs.
The dog was huge and reminded me of the children's book by Tomi Ungerer called THE BEAST of MONSIEUR RACINE. I told the woman with the dog about the book and she was out the door to get a copy for her 5 year old grand daughter. "She loves books!"
Take chances in the interest of clarity of emotion.
Tell the whole truth. Don't be lazy, don't be afraid. Close the critic out when you are drafting something new. Take chances in the interest of clarity of emotion.
JANE KENYON
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Corn Rye Wheat Barley Oat Sourdough
I ground up the barley and the wheat in the coffee grinder.
It came out great!
Vegetable Soup and Apple Pie
I made a vat of everything soup again. This has turkey base with peas potato corn tomato kale garbanzo white bean herbs spices salt vinegar. Vegetable soup and apple pie are winter staples in my house.
Provoking Trouble Again
Exclusive: US plans online portal to bypass content bans in Europe and elsewhere By Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk and Gram Slattery February 18, 20268:56 PM UTC Updated ago A woman views her phone as she walks past street art on a wall in London, Britain A woman views her phone as she walks past street art on a wall in London, Britain, December 18, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Summary Companies Launch planned for last week was delayed Portal team includes former DOGE member Coristine Officials discussed including a VPN function WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department is developing an online portal that will enable people in Europe and elsewhere to see content banned by their governments including alleged hate speech and terrorist propaganda, a move Washington views as a way to counter censorship, three sources familiar with the plan said. The site will be hosted at "freedom.gov," the sources said. One source said officials had discussed including a virtual private network function to make a user's traffic appear to originate in the U.S. and added that user activity on the site will not be tracked. Sign up here. Headed by Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, the project was expected to be unveiled at last week's Munich Security Conference but was delayed, the sources said. Reuters could not determine why the launch did not happen, but some State Department officials, including lawyers, have raised concerns about the plan, two of the sources said, without detailing the concerns. The project could further strain ties between the Trump administration and traditional U.S. allies in Europe, already heightened by disputes over trade, Russia’s war in Ukraine and President Donald Trump’s push to assert control over Greenland. The portal could also put Washington in the unfamiliar position of appearing to encourage citizens to flout local laws. In a statement to Reuters, a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. government does not have a censorship-circumvention program specific to Europe but added: “Digital freedom is a priority for the State Department, however, and that includes the proliferation of privacy and censorship-circumvention technologies like VPNs." The spokesperson denied any announcement had been delayed and said it was inaccurate that State Department lawyers had raised concerns. The Trump administration has made free speech, particularly what it sees as the stifling of conservative voices online, a focus of its foreign policy including in Europe and in Brazil. Europe's approach to free speech differs from the U.S., where the Constitution protects virtually all expression. The European Union's limits grew from efforts to fight any resurgence of extremist propaganda that fueled Nazism including its vilification of Jews, foreigners and minorities. U.S. officials have denounced EU policies that they say are suppressing right-wing politicians, including in Romania, Germany and France, and have claimed rules like the EU's Digital Services Act and Britain's Online Safety Act limit free speech. The EU delegation in Washington, which acts like an embassy for the 27-country bloc, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the U.S. plan. In rules that fall most heavily on social media sites and large platforms like Meta's (META.O), opens new tab Facebook and X, the EU restricts the availability — and in some cases requires rapid removal — of content classified as illegal hate speech, terrorist propaganda or harmful disinformation under a group of rules, laws and decisions since 2008. FRICTION WITH EUROPEAN REGULATORS Rogers of the State Department has emerged as an outspoken advocate of the Trump administration position on EU content policies. She has visited more than half a dozen European countries since taking office in October and met with representatives of right-wing groups that the administration says are being oppressed. The department did not make Rogers available for an interview. In a National Security Strategy published in December, the Trump administration warned that Europe faced "civilisational erasure" because of its migration policies. It said the U.S. would prioritize "cultivating resistance to Europe's current trajectory within European nations." EU regulators regularly require U.S.-based sites to remove content and can impose bans as a measure of last resort. X, which is owned by Trump ally Elon Musk, was hit with a 120 million-euro fine in December for noncompliance. Germany, for example, in 2024 issued 482 removal orders for material it deemed supported or incited terrorism and forced providers to take down 16,771 pieces of content. Similarly, Meta's oversight board in 2024 ordered the removal of a Polish political party's posts that used a racial slur and depicted immigrants as rapists, a content category EU law treats as illegal hate speech. Calling the U.S. plan "a direct shot" at European rules and laws, former State Department official Kenneth Propp, who worked on European digital regulations and is now at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, said freedom.gov "would be perceived in Europe as a U.S. effort to frustrate national law provisions." Also involved in the U.S. portal effort is Edward Coristine, a former member of Musk's job-slashing Department of Government Efficiency, two sources said. Coristine works with the National Design Studio, created by Trump to beautify government websites. Reuters was unable to reach Coristine for comment. It was not clear what advantages the U.S. government portal would offer users that are not available from commercial VPNs. The web address freedom.gov was registered on January 12, according to the federal registry get.gov. On Wednesday, the site had no content but showed the National Design Studio's logo, the words "fly, eagle, fly" and a log-in form. Before Trump's second term, the U.S. government helped fund commercial VPNs and other tools as part of efforts to promote democracy globally and help users access free information in China, Iran, Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Myanmar and other countries. Reporting by Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk and Gram Slattery; Additional reporting by Gabriel Stargardter in Paris; Editing by Don Durfee and Cynthia Osterman
The Monster is Backed Against the Wall So he's going to Launch a War
All of this to protect pedophiles.
BREAKING: The Department of Education has ended its directive that attempted to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools nationwide. This is a victory for academic freedom and education equity.
US judge throws out immigration board's ruling endorsing Trump mass detention policy
you have to be there for that person
“It’s not enough just to send someone to detox – you have to be there for that person,” Baker said. “Because a lot of people on Mass. and Cass are alone. They don’t have anyone, and so they leave detox and go straight back to the streets. But if you have even one person there to support you and push you, like they did with me, then you can get your life back on track.”
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/mass-and-cass-enforcement-drugs-homeless/
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Bacon-Cooking Method: Baking on Parchment Paper Total Time: 18 minutes (regular-cut bacon); 24 minutes (thick-cut bacon) + 10 minutes oven preheating time About This Method: Martha Stewart’s technique promises a “spatter-free” way to get “perfectly crispy bacon.” You simply line one or two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, arrange the bacon on top, and bake at 400°F until it is crisped to your liking. When the bacon is done, you transfer it to a paper towel–lined plate or platter to drain. Results Because the bacon sits in its own rendered fat as it bakes, it cooks more quickly than if you cooked it on a rack. The fatty parts also get wonderfully crispy (if you like that), because they’re basically fried. If you prefer your bacon chewier, you can simply cook it a few minutes less to achieve that effect. Both regular- and thick-cut slices cooked evenly and completely flat, without any need to flip them as they cooked. One cleanup tip: Make sure to cut a large-enough sheet of parchment paper so that there is overhang on all sides. Then fold the excess up so that the drippings don’t seep through any cracks. I tried this (it’s not shown in the photo) and when the bacon came out of the pan, I let the drippings cool slightly, lifted up the parchment, and directed the drippings into a container for storage. I threw away the parchment and inspected the pan — there was not a trace of grease. It went back in the cabinet without even a rinse. My Takeaway: I loved the texture and appearance of this bacon, and that it cooks hands-free with no babysitting. I also loved that this method works for a few slices or up to 20, and that, if you use the overhang trick, cleanup is just so incredibly easy. Bottom Line: Effortless cleanup (that allows you to save drippings), pretty slices, and easy control of the crispiness or chewiness of the bacon. This method has it all.
Beauty Betrayals
A perfectly lovely young woman came to work recently and her face was different. I figured it was part of being out sick with the flu. Then I realized she had her mouth and surrounding tissue altered. She looks like a blow up doll, which is a fashion trend among the 20 somethings. This is tragic to me since she was perfectly lovely and beautiful and now something is very wrong and artificial about her mouth and surrounding skin. Her lips protrude and stay frozen in space. Her face looks plastic, a duck face.
Sometimes people brighten their teeth and I can hardly hear what they are saying because the whitener has been so overdone their teeth jump half a mile ahead of them. Or when a naturally brown or black haired woman dyes her hair blonde, her skin is screaming, clashing with the new hair color. I find these things incredibly distracting.
Playing Fetch
Years ago I threw a stick in a local pond to play fetch with my dog. He jumped in but quickly I realized he was having difficulty navigating sight and sound because he appeared to be lower in the water than any of my previous dogs. We called to him and he was swimming in circles trying to pinpoint our voices. I panicked and jumped into the pond fully clothed to go get him. I continued calling his name and he took off swimming farther from shore. I realized that although I was a good swimmer I was completely panicked and THIS is how people drown. I also realized I should stop shouting and remain quiet for his sake and the neighbors sake and my sake.
My husband was on shore and took off his white straw hat and waved it. The dog spotted the hat and swam back to him. We were stupid again repeating this scenario but then I said we need a solution.
We bought our dog a life jacket and he wore it in the water. We also used long leashes to guide him. He doesn't need the life jacket anymore. After years of swim practice he has developed swimming muscles and loves it but we still use an extra long leash to make sure we can guide him back to shore.
From Working Dogs To Beloved Companions The roots of pitbulls trace back to the 19th century in the United Kingdom, where breeders crossed bulldogs with terriers to create strong, agile, and obedient dogs. They were brought to the United States by immigrants, where they quickly found new purpose — not in fighting, but in farming and homesteading.
Criticism can never instruct or benefit you. Its chief effect is that of a telegram with dubious news. Praise leaves no glow behind, for it is a writer's habit to remember nothing good of himself. I have usually forgotten those who have admired my work, and seldom anyone who disliked it. Obviously, this is because praise is never enough and censure always too much.
BEN HECHT
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Teaching Saves My Life Every Single Day
https://onbeing.org/blog/christina-torres-teaching-saves-my-life-every-single-day/
It’s incredibly rewarding, but immensely tiring. The double-edged sword of teaching is the continued (and, often, draining) presence of people throughout your workday. Some of us aptly describe it as having to be “on” — teaching requires a tremendous sense of presence, all while knowing each interaction with a kid can change the culture of your classroom for a day — or more. The stakes are high.
When I first started teaching, the pressure of being “on,” of having to “perform” was tiring. I would end each day emotionally exhausted, barely able to comprehend doing this for the rest of the week, much less year.
After a few years, though, I realized teaching isn’t a performance at all — it’s a relationship. My kids didn’t need me to entertain them. They needed me to enter into kinship with them, to care about them and, at the same time, allow them to care about me.
And in this way, teaching saves my life every single day.
The Estranged Strange Family
There is “a growing recognition of the importance of mental health and well-being, leading more individuals to prioritize their emotional health and set boundaries with toxic or abusive family members.”
Family estrangement is a widespread, often misunderstood phenomenon where at least 27% of American adults intentionally distance themselves from relatives due to negative relationships, conflict, or for personal mental health and safety. It represents a shift towards prioritizing individual well-being over obligatory, potentially toxic familial ties, often leading to "no-contact" scenarios.
Key Aspects of Estranged Families: Prevalence: Roughly 70 million Americans report being estranged from a family member.
Common Reasons: Major reasons for estrangement, particularly from adult children toward parents, include toxic behavior, abuse, differing values, trauma, or feeling unsupported. Other causes include divorce, in-law conflict, or mental health struggles.
The "No Contact" Trend: While historically taboo, there is a push to normalize "no contact" as a healthy boundary for self-preservation.
Impact on Parents: Parents experiencing estrangement often deal with profound shame, guilt, and grief, often feeling their lives lack purpose without their children or grandchildren.
Psychological Shift: Modern estrangement often stems from a move away from "compulsory" family relationships toward "pure relationships," which are maintained only if they provide mutual satisfaction, rather than obligation.
While some parents aim for reconciliation, experts suggest that, in many cases, adult children cut ties to escape dysfunctional dynamics, with the estrangement serving as a form of liberation rather than just a punishment.
Controlling parents may restrict access to aunts and uncles to maintain strict authority, limit outside influence, or manage perceived threats to their parenting style, often isolating the child from extended family support
- Boundary Setting: Parents may believe relatives are disrespectful, toxic, or unsafe for their children.
- Control and Autonomy: A desire to prevent, or "shield," children from differing opinions, family gossip, or influence.
- Conflict/Drama: Past disputes or disagreements over parenting styles.
- Protecting Parental Authority: Limiting relationships that might undermine the parent-child dynamic.
- Isolation: Children miss out on nurturing, supportive relationships that provide emotional stability, social skills, and resilience.
- Loss of Support System: Aunts and uncles often act as trusted mentors or, in crises, temporary guardians.
- Strained Relationships: The restriction can create long-term rifts within the extended family.
The 2026 Lunar New Year, beginning February 17, 2026, marks the start of the Year of the Fire Horse
- Significance: The horse represents vitality, perseverance, and success. The element of fire brings extra intensity, passion, and, at times, volatility to the year.
- Character Traits: Those born under this sign (or in this year) are believed to be energetic, free-spirited, and quick-witted, often preferring to act quickly rather than wait.
- Cultural Context: Fire Horse years are considered both auspicious and challenging, requiring careful navigation and wise leadership to maximize opportunities.
- Celebrations: The 16-day celebration, which often includes, this 2026 guide, starts with the new moon and concludes with the Lantern Festival.
- Business Impact: In the workplace, this year is often associated with themes of "success at a gallop," speed, and momentum, though it can sometimes lead to feelings of burnout.
The BLUE PEE STAGE of the US Presidency DRAGS ON
- The "Blue" Symptom: In 1812, physicians reported a bluish tinge, sometimes leaving a blue ring on the glass, associated with his severe bouts of illness.
- Alternative Theory - Medication: The king was given medicines containing gentian, a plant that can turn urine blue, which might have caused the discoloration.
- Alternative Theory - Metabolic Waste:Extreme constipation could have led to the production of indoxyl sulphate, which, through bacterial action, creates "indigo blue" in the urine.
- Porphyria Debate: While Ida Macalpine and Richard Hunter famously argued in the 1960s that he suffered from acute porphyria, recent research has questioned this, suggesting his behavior was more consistent with bipolar disorder.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
"Let the Good Times Roll"
- Significance: It is a day to celebrate, feast, and prepare for the Lenten season of repentance, often associated with confession and reflection.
- Traditions: Celebrations include wearing green, gold, and purple, parades, costume parties, and large feasts, with major celebrations in New Orleans and worldwide.
- Food:Typical foods include King Cake, doughnuts (especially Polishpączki), pancakes, and rich, fatty dishes.
- Alternative Names: Also referred to as Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday, or Carnival.
Monday, February 16, 2026
Green Sauce: a Spinach Mushroom Garlic Onion on Pasta
I bought two pounds of baby bella mushrooms, I had four white onions, I had 1/3 stick unsalted butter, I added ample bloops of extra virgin olive oil 5 cloves of fresh garlic, soy sauce and salt.
Slice the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and saute with butter and olive oil in a large pan. It's already irresistible!
I have never used butter in my life. This changed everything and it was so good.
Then I added a pound of chopped frozen spinach. It defrosted in the pan and melded beautifully.
We ate this on top of freshly boiled Bowl and Basket whole wheat pasta.
Basic Corn Bread- The Moosewood Cookbook
Ingredients
Butter to grease the pan
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
1 egg
3 tablespoons sugar or honey
3 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan (or a 9-10 inch cast-iron skillet) with butter.
Assemble we and dry ingredients separately then combine and bake in a pre-greased skillet.
We often forget that novels have deep roots in storytelling, because books are objects, things you hold and read alone in your underwear. But I always try to connect the novel back to its roots: We’re sitting around a campfire, and now it’s someone’s turn to tell a story. I try to think of myself as a storyteller, rather than a “writer.”
REIF LARSEN
Sunday, February 15, 2026
For me, the fun part is just being at home and writing in my sweatpants. And then being like, “I wrote a poem and I like it.” There’s nothing that compares to that. Nothing. Not The New Yorker, not The New York Times. I feel like that’s something that sometimes gets lost in our culture, where everything’s about building a brand before you even have an established creative process. Please, don’t be a poet unless the number one thing you like to do is write poems. And read poems.
ADA LIMÓN
There's a sureness to good writing even when what's being written about doesn't make all that much sense. It's the sureness of the so-called seat of an accomplished horseback rider or a sailor coming about in a strong wind. The words have both muscle and grace, familiarity and surprise. ANNE BERNAYS
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Cookie Cutter Pie Crusts
I did this today using hearts and stars on my cinnamon raisin apple pie. I tried it on a whim not knowing it was a trend. I will do it again but next time not overlap the pieces because those don't bake thoroughly.
Everything Soup, Cornbread and Apple Pie a lunch for visiting Friends
6 Chianti marinated pork chops in fennel defrosted then chopped up and added to two cans whole tomatoes 1 pound of home cooked garbanzo beans and 1 pound home cooked kidney beans, dried oregano basil parsley garlic olive oil 4 or 5 sauteed chopped onions and 4 chopped bell peppers. Placed it all in the instant pot and cooked it for an hour. Fantastic. Made cornbread to go with it. Made an apple pie with raisins, an oil crust made of hearts and stars. Delicious with homemade vanilla ice cream from our homemade vanilla and half and half.
Michael Szczerban speaks about the new full English translation of the classic Italian cookbook, The Talisaman of Happiness by Ada Boni.
I love this dish is because it shows how a good cook can make something out of nothing. Ada Boni's recipe begins just with onions, tomatoes and a big handful of mint, and it is incredible. I love it so much. It is so simple and yet so beguiling and good.
And you, of course, can take it somewhere else. You could add arugula instead of the mint. You could add fewer onions and more tomatoes. You could poach an egg in it if you wanted. But the lesson for me is that if you start somewhere and you point yourself in the right direction, you can get there.
Valentine's Break Up with our Oil Company
40 Years ago today I graduated college.This morning we woke up from a neighbor's car alarm and it was a blessing because we started worrying about the fact that we still had no heating oil. We had notified our regular oil company Paraco, several days ago and only got robots but no humans so we decided to break up with them. Happy Valentine's Day! Then we called Martinelli who is located on our Street and Richard Martinelli the head of the company answered the phone. I apologized for calling so early and he said, no problem, I've been up since 4 AM saying my prayers. He was awesome and said once I get your information you'll be my first delivery of the day. He came right over checked our tank for insurance purposes, and filled us up. He loved our dogs too!
Consumers Propane in Woonsocket) has received significant complaints regarding poor service, including issues with missed deliveries, unexpected service disconnections, and billing issues. Customers have reported being left without fuel during cold weather and experiencing, in their view, difficult customer service.Key issues reported in reviews include:
- Service Reliability: Multiple reports of empty tanks, missed deliveries, and long wait times.
- Customer Service: Complaints about unhelpful or unreachable service representatives.
- Billing/Fees: Allegations of high fees, unexpected charges, and failure to issue credits for returned tanks.
- Disconnection of Service: Reports of the company locking out tanks, even after payments were made.
These complaints primarily stem from long-time customers of the previous, local company (Consumers Propane) experiencing18 a decline in service quality following the acquisition by the larger, New York-based Paraco.
Friday, February 13, 2026
“It is very important to go out alone, to sit under a tree—not with a book, not with a companion, but by yourself—and observe the falling of a leaf, hear the lapping of the water, the fishermen’s song, watch the flight of a bird, and of your own thoughts as they chase each other across the space of your mind. If you are able to be alone and watch these things, then you will discover extraordinary riches which no government can tax, no human agency can corrupt, and which can never be destroyed.”
— Jiddu Krishnamurti
“We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
“Go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.” — Kurt Vonnegut
I am a farmer. I wake and put on my yellow slop boots and take the animals out in the dark, before dawn. I feed them, make coffee and check the weather. Then we drive to walk in the fields, lately the cemetery down the road since the snow is piled high covering the sidewalks. We repeat this twice a day.
. . . since the only way to avoid giving into depression and despair is to do something, even something you hate, anything in fact, I force myself to keep bashing away at something, anything. Flaubert said it was only thanks to work that he was ‘able to stifle the melancholy’ he was born with. It is a simple choice: work or succumb to melancholia, depression and despair. Like it or not you have to try to do something with your life, you have to keep plugging away.
Geoff Dyer, Out of Sheer Rage: In the Shadow of D. H. Lawrence
Make a habit of putting your observations into words and gradually this will become instinct.
Geoff Dyer
The purpose of going to the gym was to postpone the day when I would stop going. That's what writing is to me: a way of postponing the day when I won't do it any more, the day when I will sink into a depression so profound it will be indistinguishable from perfect bliss. Geoff Dyer
Geoff Dyer memoir HOMEWORK
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
A friend made this for me in college and I'll never forget it.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17897/hungarian-mushroom-soup/
Enjoying Teaching
I have been enjoying being a teacher because it gives me joy. I am going to wait a few days before I decide what to do for the student who wants to be tutored in English conversation.
This morning my swim student told me about her ballroom dancing costume and upcoming dance contest. She sews her own outfits (this one has rhinestones and denim bell bottoms!) I hope I am this adorable when I am 80.
Sleeping on clean sheets improves sleep quality by providing a fresh, comfortable, and hygienic environment that helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
A National Sleep Foundation survey found 73% of people feel they get a better night's rest on clean, fresh-scented sheets. Regular washing removes sweat, oils, and allergens that cause discomfort.
- Enhanced Comfort: Fresh, clean, and crisp sheets feel better on the skin, reducing irritation and promoting relaxation.
- Improved Hygiene & Allergies: Washing removes accumulated dead skin cells, body oils, and dust mites, which can trigger allergies or, in some cases, cause acne.
- Better Smell: The clean scent of freshly washed linens acts as a sensory trigger for relaxation, creating a calm environment for sleep.
- Temperature Regulation: Clean, breathable sheets help manage body temperature, reducing discomfort from sweating during the night.
Emotionally immature parents rely on their children yet resent them at the same time. They benefit from the child’s built-in deference and attachment to them. They feel bolstered by the power dynamic of being the parent and having power over someone else. Yet they resent the child’s needs as a source of irritation and inconvenience to them. They tend to see the child as a competitor rather than as an innocent being naturally entitled and reliant on their support.
CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating.
Dispatcher in Holbrook instructs frantic 911 caller how to administer CPR on 4-year-old who had stopped breathing Authorities are commending a Holbrook emergency dispatcher who guided a frantic 911 caller through the CPR process, calmly providing instructions that helped a 4-year-old girl in East Bridgewater start breathing again. The emergency was reported to the Holbrook Regional Emergency Communications Center around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, the center and East Bridgewater officials said in a statement Wednesday. The child had stopped breathing at a home on West Street, so the family called 911. A dispatcher at the Holbrook center, Sophia Zervos, took the call and provided crucial information to help save the child’s life, officials said. “I want you to put the heel of your hand in the center of their chest, right between the nipples, and you’re going to push down hard and fast, two inches in depth,” Zervos told the caller, according to the statement. “OK? We’re going to start now. I’m going to count with you.” “Ready? Go. One, two, three, four, five, six,” Zervos counted as the girl’s family followed her instructions. “You’re doing a great job,” Zervos told the caller. “Everyone’s already on the way. How’s she doing? Is she breathing?” A relative said no. “Take a second,” Zervos said. “Stop compressions and see if her chest is rising and falling. OK?” Following two rounds of compressions, the girl’s family noticed her stomach moving, officials said. The child then threw up and started breathing again. Zervos told the caller to turn the girl on her side so she wouldn’t choke and assured the family that help was on the way, officials said. The family confirmed the girl was awake and breathing on her own. “I want you to watch her breathing for me,” Zervos told the caller. “I want you to make sure she’s getting some good deep breaths and she’s breathing on her own.” Zervos then heard the sound of approaching sirens, signaling that help had arrived, officials said. The child’s family has since reported that she’s recovering at an area hospital, officials said. You can listen to audio of the 911 call here. “Sophia Zervos handled this call with absolute professionalism and integrity,” said Steve Hooke, who directs the dispatch center. “While every call is handled by a true team of emergency professionals, this particular incident exemplifies our daily mission.” East Bridgewater’s fire chief, John Dzialo, said the dispatcher’s “clear and thoughtful instructions bought this child a few extra, vital minutes of oxygen. “When we arrived, the child needed medical attention, but she was breathing on her own,” she said. “Dispatcher Zervos helped these parents save their child’s life.” Michael Jenkins, the police chief in East Bridgewater, said Zervos “was there for this family.” “She gave them step-by-step directions on how to save their child’s life,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll never forget this call and the calm, reassuring voice at the other end. I know I’ll never forget it.” Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.