Sallie Satterthwaite's blog

What emergency?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:31:11 -0500

The cruise ship Noordam we boarded last summer cost a small fortune, but that’s why I write. Dave takes responsibility for keeping the house intact, paying for prescriptions and groceries, and for vehicular maintenance. My meager wages go into an account labeled “Fun.”

Not Our Usual Boat Trip

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:34:10 -0500

Going through some old files recently, I opened one slugged “ants” and dated exactly one year before today. Talk about your déjà vu….

Coping with Energy and Autism

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:18:10 -0500

His apparent inability to control himself and to communicate clearly has earned grandson Samuel, 6, the title of “high functioning autism” or “Spectrum Kid.” He’s so incredibly smart, a happy little boy, but he is going to have to learn how to cope with life on its own terms. Not to mention the determination of his mother, our daughter Jean. Join their journey:

Electronic Frustration

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:42:13 -0400

Seems to me the world is made up of the “cans” and the “can’ts,” and I am a “can’t.” Maybe more of a “won’t.”

Samuel and autism

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:05:15 -0400

Our Samuel. Autistic?

Or just smart, always on the move, a spark of sunshine?

In his parents’ eyes, maybe a bit slow in speech and in social development.

Barging through Europe – part 2

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:20:49 -0400

Mary accompanied us by train to Sarrebourg, France, the closest town before we set out by taxi to Niderviller where we were renting a small barge for a two-week self-driven canal cruise.

Barging through Alsace-Lorraine (first of two)

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:57:12 -0400

Hubris and diesel fuel don’t mix.

No surprise here. Some of our readers share our fondness for rivers, canals, locks and barges, and for them I write of life on the water. It’s not for everyone.

Loving Twisted Düsseldorf

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:12:05 -0400

Well, wouldn’t you know, we went off to see some new (to us) corners of the world, and came home in love again.

With what city or garden or sculpture, you may ask? The Parthenon? St. Peter’s Basilica? The winding rivers and canals of France?

Newspapers in 2009

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:32:14 -0400

Having been out of pocket, as they say, for 60 days, I may be a bit dated as to the newspaper changes. I know that we will walk into the house and find piles of dead bugs, so we’ll start our homecoming by cleaning up.

Four Great Cities (part 2 of 2)

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:06:25 -0400

A faded cotton sweatshirt inspired last week’s conversation - or lack of - about four great cities and their symbols. Certainly I don’t want to suggest that London and Paris are the world’s greatest municipalities or that I have the credentials to judge them. After all, my shirt is only a size 12.

Four Cities - first two of four

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:36:16 -0400

There are so many interesting places to visit in the world, and life is so short, one wonders how to choose. There are those who believe travel should begin and end in their native land, depriving themselves and families of the wonders of the rest of the world.

COLUMN Of Dots and Stops and Angle Brackets

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:08:20 -0400

An otherwise ordinary bit of research recently took me on a circuitous route through Web pages, a shelf full of reference books, and appeals to trusted advisers, always just an e-mail away.

Mr. Barton Remembered

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:36:49 -0400

When we saw the young girl pushing her bike up the hill most locals call “Little 6 Points,” I had a curious tightening in my throat.

Remembering childhood

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:14:42 -0400

What is it about holidays and festivities that turn our minds to memories of the past? We watched the July 4th parade from the embankment of Peachtree Parkway South and, of course, “saw” in memory our little girls caught up in the squealing, cart-wheeling, candy-catching melee of an all-day celebration.

Neckties

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:43:26 -0400

Visit December of 1998 with me, trying to get Dave gussied up for his role as father of the bride on new Year’s Day. And with Christmas as another excuse, I bought him a couple of neckties to go with his new gray suit.