Stop the presses
It was sad news last week when The Times Picayune, New Orleans’ daily paper became New Orleans’ three-day-a-week paper. After 175 years, the publication is going digital, and no more home delivery. Mon Dieu! What a tragedy.
Adele Elliott: Exodus, part two
As a child, I was terrified of trains. I cried if our car stopped near a train track or crossing. Many songs have been written about the romantic sound of a distant whistle. I cannot relate to lyrics about the allure of a train whistle’s screech. That sound pierces chills and panic into my body. To me, it is the soundtrack of horror movies.
Adele Elliott: Fall from grace
The news is seldom good.
In Afghanistan, an American soldier slaughtered 16 civilians for no discernible reason. That carnage included nine children. In Ohio, a 17-year-old boy went on a shooting rampage, in which he killed three of his fellow students and injured others. The victims were chosen at random. His motive remains unclear.
Adele Elliott: Small stages
Last week Columbus was so fortunate to have a spectacular cast of professional actors performing Tennessee Williams’ play, “Orpheus Descending.” It was an amazing experience, with characters coming and going from the theater’s front, back, sides and even speaking from the balcony. Sometimes it was hard to tell who were the actors and who was the audience.
Adele Elliott: The machine rebellion
It’s been a rough week at the Elliott-Hannon household. Murphy’s Law, (which says that if anything can go wrong, it will) was in full force. And it was all mechanically related.
Adele Elliott: Designing woman
This week, my homepage had the nerve to suggest quick fixes for my décor dilemmas.
Adele Elliott: Comfort me with cocoa
Tomorrow may be the holiday that inspires more angst than all the others combined. Love can seem elusive, meant for other people.
Adele Elliott: Dress codes
Ever since Eve was forced to vacate the Garden of Eden and give up her wardrobe of leaves, the question of what to wear has been foremost on women’s minds.
Adele Elliott: Dress codes
Ever since Eve was forced to vacate the Garden of Eden and give up her wardrobe of leaves, the question of what to wear has been foremost on women’s minds.
Adele Elliott: Marriage bans
I love weddings — and almost anything about them. Television shows about bridal gowns or elaborate cakes, or most especially about brides behaving badly, mesmerize me. I never tire of the angst of brides deciding between the $10,000 designer dress or the nicer one for $20,000.
Adele Elliott: Courtesy
I’ve been thinking about courtesy lately. It started with a conversation with my friend, Marleen Hansen. She lamented the decline in table manners. “People don’t know basic etiquette, like using the silverware and napkins that are provided,” she said. “Everyone eats with their hands!”
Adele Elliott: Alignment, peace and love
Many of us remember these lyrics from the late 1960s. The war in Vietnam was at its most violent point. Families were shattered by conflicting views on causes and patriotism. While the battles raged in Southeast Asia, at home, cities were exploding with anger and anarchy. We wanted so much to believe in the power of the planets. We wanted a real peace.
Adele Elliott: Big box confessional
In Columbus a few stores fill many needs. Grocery stores sell lawn furniture and panty hose. Drug stores sell Halloween costumes and develop your photos. A Shell station has a dry cleaner drop-off inside. And, of course, there is almost one-stop-shopping at the gas/pharmacy/donut factory/convenience store. If they sold clothing, you would never need to go anywhere else.
Adele Elliott: Present tense
Strangely, my personal time gives the illusion that it is expanding. Unfortunately, I am not using this gift in a constructive way.
Adele Elliott: Lukewarm war
Every decade has its iconic images. When thinking of the 1920s, flappers come to mind. The ’30s evoke long, gloomy lines snaking out of soup kitchens. Each period has a descriptive name, as well: “The Roaring Twenties” or “The Depression.”
Adele Elliott: Changes
June is considered a romantic month. More brides choose this month than any other. I’m not sure why they do. It certainly is not the prettiest, or the most temperate. Maybe it is because school has just ended and recent college grads can begin their new life with a new wife (or husband). It is a month for big changes.
Adele Elliott: Ghost stories
My house is filled with noises. “Things … go bump in the night” … and the day. Most of the time, we know it is only squirrels in the attic. They clatter through the walls and rattle around the spaces next to fireplaces.
Adele Elliott: Kiss a fireman
You probably saw the smoke that Friday morning. It was hard to miss. For a while it seemed that the entire Southside was in danger of becoming an inferno.
Adele Elliott: Release
This is the time we think about mothers and their children. It will be a difficult day for my sister and brother and I. We lost our mother only a few months ago. I handle my grief with complete denial.
Adele Elliott: Penmanship
Everyone imagines that they can write. We have often heard someone say, “I have a book in me.” Seldom does that book ever emerge.