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This essay by Henri Marchand was first heard as a radio essay on the “Sunrise” program of WUML, 92.5 FM, at UMass Lowell. Today we continue our tradition of reposting the essay each year at Christmas. The Christmas Fruitcake: An Ageless Tradition By Henri Marchand I think there…
Read More »Christmas with the Kanes By David Daniel The exchanging of cards at the holidays remains a quaint, if vanishing, tradition. For a time, it gave ground to the “holiday letter”—pages of cheery mimeographed minutiae. But even those have waned, the impetus to show lives in perfect balance largely siphoned…
Read More »Louise Peloquin reports on the World Cup from the streets of Paris . . . “Grande tristesse, grande fierté” (Great sadness, great pride) By Louise Peloquin Today December 18th, after 1978 and 1986, Argentina won the World Cup for the third time. France will have to wait another four years…
Read More »The 2022 World Cup will be decided by today’s France v Argentina match that begins at 10am Eastern Standard Time. (I’ll update this post after that game is over). **** UPDATE: Argentina defeated France to win the 2022 World Cup in what commentators said was the most exciting World Cup…
Read More »I’m not the only self-professed neophyte soccer fan following the World Cup. Regular blog contributor Louise Peloquin joins me in doing that this weekend, only she’s doing it from Paris. Louise sent the following observations as the city prepares for tomorrow’s championship match between France and Argentina. —RH Waiting for…
Read More »Living Madly: The Shortest Day By Emilie-Noelle Provost You hear a lot about seasonal affective disorder this time of year. Many people find the lack of sunlight depressing, but I don’t mind December’s dark days. I love how quiet our neighborhood is after the sun sets. No one is outside…
Read More »Boarding School Blues: Chapter 49 By Louise Peloquin Ch. 49: “C’est si bon” After hugging her mother, dropping her Samsonite into the trunk and sliding into the Plymouth, Blanche sighed “si contente d’aller chez nous (so happy to go home).” Maman smiled. “Les petits (the little ones) are anxious to…
Read More »Much has been written about the US ouster from the World Cup last Saturday with opinions ranging from “this was a great result considering all the circumstances” to “this was a squandered opportunity.” As a novice soccer fan, I hesitate to state an opinion, but it seemed that the US,…
Read More »The Spirit of Uncle Arthur at Christmas By Charles Gargiulo I remember reading somewhere that a great songwriter is somebody who can say more in just a couple of lines than most people can say about the same subject if they talked all night about it. If that’s the case,…
Read More »Nativity By Malcolm Sharps She didn’t audition for the part specifically; she didn’t need to. The instant Keith saw Katie at the casting rehearsal he knew that she, and only she, could play the vital, crucial, essential role of Mary in his Nativity. She was a natural Mary, the ideal…
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