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IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF THE END?
In the last few days, I’ve had conversations with smart readers and big-time insiders. All were dour. They see Biden losing steam, Trump gaining strength. They missed the videos of Kamala Harris being mobbed by kids, so they don’t take her — or any other Democrat — seriously. Even if Trump has dementia, they don’t see his base moving away from him. They all said, in so many words, “I feel like we’re experiencing the beginning of the end.” They think it’s entirely possible — actually, they think it’s likely — that Trump wins the election.
I disagreed, not that my opinion means anything. But I pressed my smart insider friend: “Do you believe in magic?” She did. Me too. What is magic now? Magic, I said, is looking out for others in your immediate circle of friends, neighbors, and relations so they feel it. Essentially, I said, it’s a daily thing: practicing kindness.
Why such a narrow definition? Because our ability to impact major events is negligible —in our own country, we’re spectators. Keeping our lifeboat crew from despair? That seems like an achievement. And if everyone did it on the same day, we might just feel the start of a change. I’m thinking here of Philip Slater’s The Chrysalis Effect. I wish everyone would read this book. It’s about the death of a paternalistic culture, the rise of a better, collegial, feminized one.
I mentioned the idea of individual acts of kindness to a friend in Tel Aviv. He wasn’t buying it. And how could he: his young son was just called up. But until someone reveals a credible media-based idea, kindness seems like what we have to work with. So let me commend this song by James Taylor “Shower the People.” When you listen, see if you feel anything. See if you feel like sharing. See if it makes the least difference. And see if it leads you to a better idea.
ANNE LAMOTT WISDOM
from the Washington Post: “It’s good to remember: We are all on borrowed time.”
“So many indignities are involved in aging, and yet so many graces, too. The perfectionism that had run me ragged and has kept me scared and wired my whole life has abated. The idea of perfectionism at 60 is comical when, like me, you’ve worn non-matching black flats out on stage. In my experience, most of us age away from brain and ambition toward heart and soul, and we bathe in relief that things are not worse. When I was younger, I was fixated on looking good and impressing people and being so big in the world. By 60, I didn’t care nearly as much what people thought of me, mostly.”
DAME JUDI DENCH RECITES SHAKESPEARE
No big deal for her. Listen.
GOING TO PARIS? YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH VAN GOGH
This year marks the 170th anniversary of Van Gogh’s birth, but it is his final months that are now the subject of a major exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Organized in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, where the exhibition debuted earlier this year, “Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise. The Final Months” (through February 4, 2024) brings together 48 of the 74 paintings and 25 of the 33 drawings, many of which are being shown in Paris for the first time. Read on.
WEEKEND POEM
Mary Oliver, “Don’t Hesitate”
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case.
Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
EARLY HOLIDAY SHOPPING
Remember Tree Lotion, the high-quality CBD cream? You’re invited to start holiday shopping early. Use code: Holiday to receive 30% off all CBD products.
MARY KARR WISDOM
The author of “The Liar’s Club:” tweets: “The most radical, dangerous, badass thing I plan to do today is hope. Y’all try to stop me.”
GARLAND JEFFREYS DOCUMENTARY
When Garland met my friend K, he asked, “Do you see a lot of this guy?” She said, “As little as possible.” They high-fived, because we are old friends, and this is how we express the warmth. Now there’s a documentary about Garland, and I hope Laurie Anderson, Harvey Keitel, and Graham Parker are just as lovingly tart. For online tickets,, November 12 to 26, click here.
WEEKEND RECIPE
SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE
8 to 10 servings
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
4 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar (about 16 ounces)
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
2 cups shredded Colby Jack (about 8 ounces)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.
Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1½ cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and ½ cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.) Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.
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This post was previously published on headbutler.com.
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Photo credit: iStockPhoto.com