Family – Page 2 – Embrace the Absurd

The Old “New Normal”

Charlie DePascale As I look out the window and see my wife working in her vegetable garden, I cannot help but reflect on COVID-19, social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and the “new normal” that we are moving toward by fits and starts. No, she is not wearing a mask in our backyard, but …Continue reading “The Old “New Normal””

Ten Years of Taylor

Charlie DePascale Ten years ago, August 22, 2008, my daughter and I attended our first Taylor Swift concert in Hartford, Connecticut. The original plan was to attend the concert a few weeks later in Massachusetts – a bit closer to our home in Maine. About to start high school, however, she was a bit worriedContinue reading “Ten Years of Taylor”

My 12 Memories of Christmas

Charlie DePascale As time goes by, certain memories of Christmases past become stronger than others. Most are filled with family, food, music, and fun; but a few other things manage to creep in as well. On Christmas 2017, here is a list of my 12 memories that mean Christmas to me. The First Noel Continue reading “My 12 Memories of Christmas”

A Month of Goodbyes

Every baseball fan knows that October is a month to say goodbye – goodbye to another baseball season, goodbye to summer, and goodbye to another year. This year the Red Sox season ended rather abruptly on Columbus Day as the Sox were swept out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Indians. Whether the season endsContinue reading “A Month of Goodbyes”

This Is My Fight Song

Arizona, Connecticut, and a fuchsia wristband Charlie DePascale Last weekend I attended a concert in Boston with my daughter; an opportunity that has become more rare and more appreciated since she left for college four years ago. We arrived early and waited in line to hear Rachel Platten perform her breakout hit Fight SongContinue reading “This Is My Fight Song”

He was my teacher, and he was effective

Labor Day is one of those times each year when memories of my father come flooding back. Dad was a high school teacher for forty years from the late 1950s until the late 1990s. Labor Day, signaling the end of summer and the beginning of each new school year, was a major event for ourContinue reading “He was my teacher, and he was effective”