Looking at the world through ‘Big Eyes’

A movie about the art world? How boring! Not so fast. “Big Eyes” was produced and directed by Tim Burton. It stars Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. It’s about about real life artists Walter and Margaret Keane, and there’s a villain and somebody for which to cheer. And doe-eyed children in frames. Many, many doe-eyed…

The Bookstore Attraction Conundrum

Originally posted on The Return of the Modern Philosopher:
Doyle wasn’t sure exactly why he’d picked that exact moment to look up from his book. Even now, weeks removed from the incident, he couldn’t tell you if it was just a feeling he had, or if the Fates themselves had somehow intervened and tapped him…

The muddy prints of a 4-year-old

Somebody young was traipsing through the muddy backyard of our home in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood during this holiday week and then heard visitors arrive inside. They wanted in. Badly. But they couldn’t quite figure out how to work the tricky handle of the French door. We did not have a toddler visiting…

The War Memorial part of the Syracuse arena is impressive

Last week I brought you the hockey report from our visit to the Onondaga County War Memorial to see the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. My dear wife Karen went back Friday night, just six days later, so I decided to make the historic, 61-year-old building in downtown Syracuse the star of the work on…

Holidays and Crime

This post comes from the fertile mind of my friend Paul Curran. Alexander Rossi – Afternoon Tea http://framingpainting.com/painting/afternoon_tea-20714.html Your Barista – Paul If We Were Having Coffee Welcome to Willow’s weekly coffee and tea garden. My name is Paul, I’ll be your barista today and I’m happy to be here once again. This week Willow…

What are you doing here?

An unexpected guest showed up at our home in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood, and just five days from the New Year yet. I noticed the visitor loitering in the corner of our backyard when I let Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle out for her morning Saturday romp. OK, I have to admit that…

Clark’s beef on ‘wick was worth the wait

I pressed my face to the window waiting for Clark’s Ale House to open with this August post telling of its history in another location in downtown Syracuse and licking my lips to reacquaint myself with owner Ray Clark’s famous roast beef sandwiches. My dear wife Karen and I went back a month ago for…

I ‘present’ my top 10 films list for 2014

As you savor the mood of a post-holiday Friday, I offer you this gift. Over on the Syracuse New Times site is my Top 10 list of my favorite films from 2014. OK, I’ll give you No. 10. That would be “The 100-Foot Journey,” the pretty delightful Disney offering featuring Helen Mirren as the French…

A wet, green Christmas was OK here

So much sentimentality is hung upon the concept of a White Christmas. Sorry, Bing, not this year in Syracuse, N.Y. I did not mind at all that in the front of our house in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood, the lawn once again had returned to green. OK, I will admit that at the…

Yes, Santa did

My dear wife Karen outdid herself this year. From the grandest gift to the simplest gift, she knows how to make everybody in the house happy. I think so. Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle thinks so. Daughter Elisabeth and boyfriend George thought so as we enjoyed family time for Christmas Eve last night. Son Daryl…