The woodcutter who wouldn’t take my money

The woodcutter who wouldn’t take my money

When we lived in Ireland, a neighbor advertised his wood-cutting services with a hand-painted sign along the road. He’d bring a cord of wood over, and instead of dumping it on the lawn and driving away like any self-respecting American contractor, he’d...
The project from hell

The project from hell

Sometime back in May, Walt got it in his head that we should renovate our kitchen. Now, I should mention we’d bought this house sight unseen during the pandemic—intended as a home base for our trips back from Ireland, with Airbnb covering the mortgage the rest...
How to lose a reader in 12 pages

How to lose a reader in 12 pages

Maybe you’ve heard it said that most readers never get beyond the first twelve pages of a book, particularly if it’s non-fiction. This supposed tendency is what drives the billion-dollar write-a-book-in-a-weekend industry. Become a published author. Have a book to...
Better the devil you know

Better the devil you know

I’m sitting here this morning listening to Walt in the other room. He’s on a Zoom call with one of his clients, and apparently the guy is reluctant to try something new. He wants to cling to his old business habits because, as my mother used to say,...