Skip to main content

French Press Style. . .


'Dad Rat,' as The Young Master calls him, joined us at the breakfast table this morning.  He is very particular about his coffee for a rodent.


A lovely, sunny, cool morning here in Mid-Michigan.  The emerald green grass is freshly cut in long, straight diagonal rows, the flower beds are freshly edged, the Marigolds and Begonias are in full bloom.  The reconfiguration of formerly face to face courses for teaching in an asynchronous online environment is underway.  Ahhhh.  Right now, it's almost possible to forget the ugliness of the world and the rudderless ship on which we have passage.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Comments

  1. I took the day off today and spent a few hours walking through the woods and fields with my wife just to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. Sometimes it is best to step away from humanity.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Agreed. Mind you, that used to be easier pre-internet when all one had to do was turn off the TV and/or not glance through the newspaper. It's much harder to avoid the rest of the world now.

    Best Regards,

    H-U

    ReplyDelete
  3. Having focused on the rat and the Minnesota mug, I hadn't noticed the chair.
    Very nice indeed ( as are Mr. Rat and the mug).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you! When we upgraded our dining room furniture a few years ago, we tried to find a table and chairs that were relatively plain. Easier said than done, but we managed fairly well in the end without having to take out a second mortgage. People tend to forget -- in the era of flat-pack, disposable decor -- that 'real' furniture ain't exactly cheap. One must shop around to avoid breaking the bank. But we found something that should last well into decrepitude and beyond. The Minnesota mug is one of Dad Rat's favorites, but he also enjoys using a Michigan mug from time to time.

    Best Regards,

    Heinz-Ulrich

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

All opinions are welcome here. Even those that differ from mine. But let's keep it clean and civil, please.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Popular Posts

Avoid Careless Chatter. . .

    E specially about the personal details of our lives.  There is a lot that OUGHT to be kept more private in 2022 than has become the accepted norm for many.  With the conscious and intentional cultivation of classic style in mind, however, we want to avoid oversharing and keep a bit more of ourselves to ourselves.  Exactly what personal information and how much of it to keep private seems to be a slippery concept though.  Here’s my take based on what I was told and observed as a child and young person at home.  Basically, one should keep oneself to oneself in all respects (finances, personal worth, accomplishments, politics, sex, dirty laundry, etc.).  As my late father used to advise when we were very small, and I am talking preschool and kindergarten, there were particular subjects that were not discussed outside the immediate family.  There is a time and place for sharing certain details of one’s life, but most of the time, those should be played very close to the chest,

Chilly Late April Wednesday Attire. . .

    Y ou know, if it is going to remain this cold and blustery, I need about eight inches of snow for some more cross-country skiing.  But since the white stuff is long gone, it was time to fish through the cedar closet down in Zum Stollenkeller and pull out some cold weather attire for a seasonal reboot.   But I decided to forgo the usual gray herringbone jacket from J.  Press (my go-to tweed  sports jacket) and instead opted for this number from Hart, Schaffner, and Marx plus the tan cords that hang on the same hanger, so strenuous mental effort was not required.  Pressed the shirt after tucking in the Young Master last night at 8:30, grabbed these shoes, and socks, and Bob is your mother's brother as they say.   Occasionally gazing through the large library window to my immediate left this morning, and I keep hearing that old Jobim tune drift through my mind this morning (aided by the windmills), as sung by Astrud Gilberto ( together with Leonard Cohen and Paolo Conte, the musi

The Pleasaures of a Well-trained Dog. . .

  A few final photographs from my visit to my sister in Washington, D.C. last week.  These include  one of 'Mr. Beau,' my sister's meticulously trained and truly wonderful Doberman, another of my sister, second cousin, step-father, and yours truly on the steps of the church outside Lexington, North Carolina just after our late mother's interment service, two of me solo at the National Cathedral, and a final one of my sister and me hamming it up during a long evening walk the day before I returned to Michigan. My sister routinely walks to the cathedral, about three blocks from her place, to enjoy the grounds and gardens.  The Bishop's Garden, in particular, is a place she likes to sit for quiet contemplation and internal dialogues with our late maternal grandparents and mother, very much in keeping with the Episcopal side of things.  Our grandfather, who was raised Methodist, became an Episcopalian when he married our grandmother.   Before you ask, I am not sure tha