Author: randy
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The Books I Loved in 2024
My Top 10 Books of 2024
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What I Learned Spending a Day with a Master Chef from Basque Country Spain
Since my retirement at age 48, I have loved cooking, but now that we are here in Spain, it has become one of the supreme joys of my life. The Basque Country in northern Spain is celebrated worldwide for its haute cuisine. The combination of Spanish zest and French elegance is evident in every bite….
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Protected: Too Big for My Britches
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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A Year in Spain (Part Two)
We moved to Spain a year ago today. The most significant difference has been how safe and calm we feel living here. The Spanish have a beautiful word for it: Tranquilo. Three hundred days of sunshine a year and welcoming and joyous people have done wonders for my mood. It turns out I wasn’t depressed….
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A Year in Spain
As of December 7, we have lived in Barcelona for twelve months. To quote a line from a favorite movie, “Inconceivable!” It started in early 2023 with us dreaming, “Oh my, what if we could be like Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn, Salvador and Gala Dali, Pablo Picasso and Genevieve Laporte? What if we were…
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Guapa
Original Watercolor on Handmade Paper 2024 51 x 38 cm Guapa is the Spanish word for beautiful.
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A Bittersweet Thanksgiving
Spain does not celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a distinctively American experience. It is ironic that last year in America, Gina and I spent Thanksgiving alone at our home in Dunedin. However, Ray, our long-time friend (over three decades), and his partner Alan will be with us this year. We plan to gather around the table…
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Protected: Art of Fucking
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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What My Two Affairs Taught Me About Infidelity
I’m not sure it’s possible to justify my liaisons with two women (one married, one divorced), but what I learned from having them warrants discussion—not between their husband and ex and me. However, it might be interesting to hear that side. No, I submit that it would be healthy if this discussion happened between partners…
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My Raw Thoughts A Few Minutes After the 2024 Presidential Election Was Called
Shock. Horror. Disbelief. Disappointment. Hollow vindication. These are a few of the violent emotions that swept over me this morning when the Associated Press confirmed that a psychopathic criminal filled with hatred has been re-elected President of the United States. Surreal. I would never have dreamed this would happen after the traitorous attempted coup and…
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Four Days of Solitude and Magic at Montserrat Monastery
For the past four days, I have disappeared from the world. No media, no people, no news, just me. Alone with myself. For three nights and four blissful days, I retreated to the Montserrat Monastery, high in the mountains of Spain. Montserrat is a Spanish name derived from the Latin terms “mons” (mountain) and “serratus”…
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Montserrat Sunrise
Click photo to enlarge.
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Montserrat Museum
Here are my favorites. Click image to enlarge. The artist card follows the art piece.
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VideoMapping the Montserrat Basilica
I captured amazing video of the experience.
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Montserrat Village
Click photo to enlarge.
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Montserrat Basilica
Click photo to enlarge.
