by Agnes Krup | bio When I was a child, there was always a day I’d come home from school before the holidays and find my mother sitting at the kitchen table, bent over our wafer iron, wearing a shower cap. The sweet, intoxicating smell of anise would emanate from the kitchen, and I’d know [...]

by Thulani Davis I’m not sure what possessed me to get a Christmas tree but I did. A tree taller than I am, that was a bit of a haul up my two flights of stairs. I have pound cake in the oven and there are good things to eat in the refrigerator. I think [...]

by Faith Childs | bio The assassination of Benazir Bhutto, who had recently returned home to Pakistan after an almost decade-long exile, serves as a brutal reminder of the instability of her troubled country. Benazir Bhutto Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan, was the target of a sniper and suicide bomber at a political [...]

by Patricia Yarberry Allen, MD | bio The husband and I were childless this Christmas. Our grown-up children were with in-laws and ex-laws. We could do what we wanted when we wanted. No over eating. No over gifting. We began our holiday with a 19-hour road trip, traveling from New York City to southern Florida. [...]

by Elizabeth Hemmerdinger | bio We were 18 for dinner Christmas night. Our children, their spouses, four grandchildren, in-laws, and four dear friends. A family in which we delight and who look forward to coming together, as they have done for years, to celebrate any number of things. Wonderful Helen brought us this from George [...]

This came to us from a friend: According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in [...]

by Patricia Yarberry Allen, MD | bio I was born on Dec. 21, on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. I have always wondered why the sign of Sagittarius included this day, the day of the least light for the hottest fire sign of them all. As a child I never had [...]

by Jackie Frank Pat Allen is my doctor, and she asked me to tell my story for her birthday. So here goes: Things I’ve Done Since Turning 50 1. Got a master’s degree in international affairs 2. Spent five months in Bangladesh training people in television journalism 3. Produced a theatrical documentary on Darfur 4. [...]

In this two-part series on Second Life, Laura Sillerman asks whether we should enter the virtual world — or just get a real life. Below, reference librarian Ellyssa Kroski explains the social and educational benefits of SL. by Ellyssa Kroski I had the privilege recently of overhearing a lively conversation between my two pre-school nieces [...]

In this two-part series on Second Life, reference librarian Ellyssa Kroski explains the social and educational benefits of SL. Below, Laura Sillerman questions the effect on relationships and experiences. by Laura Sillerman | bio My friend Alice is the director of a school of library science. Buoyant to the point of having to work harder [...]