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Author: michaeldevault

Alpaca Family

Introducing “That Is All”

I’m a Buddhist. (A really, really bad Buddhist, but Buddhist nonetheless.) I’ve never observed Lent, but as a really bad Buddhist, the concept of a ritualized deprivation of some form of enjoyment appeals to me. I’ve toyed with trying it over the years. This year is that year. I made my list of things I…
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The Legend of the Standing Rib Roast

Holiday traditions come in two flavors. There are those popular traditions like decorating a tree or putting out the Christmas lights. Perhaps the more important traditions are the second variety–the traditions arising from within one’s own family. After all, the holidays are best celebrated with our families, either those born into or those we create.…
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John F. Kennedy on PT-109

Presidential Mettle Pt. 2: John F. Kennedy

(Author’s Note) In honor of former President Trump, who has “endured more than any other president in the history of the United States of America,” I thought we should share stories of other presidents who’ve endured challenges. Today’s entry: President John F. Kennedy. It’s easy to reduce John F. Kennedy’s role in history to his…
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Presidential Mettle Pt. 1: Theodore Roosevelt

(Author’s Note) In honor of former President Trump, who has “endured more than any other president in the history of the United States of America,” I thought we should share stories of other presidents who’ve endured challenges. Today’s entry: President Theodore Roosevelt. By 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt had made himself into something of a…
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Waffle House

Efficiency

Or: Lessons Learned in a Waffle House at Shift Change First, let’s address the herd of elephants in the room. It’s been more than a year and a half since I updated Zeitgeist. I’ve also been woefully neglectful of Finding Machu Picchu, as well. But there are reasons, both good and bad, for having been so neglectful.…
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Acquisitions I: Souvenirs from a life with art

My first encounter with art happened on a staircase landing. Sometime in the late Spring of 2002, I an invitation to a gallery opening from Carol Parsons. I had done an article on her home, Layton’s Castle, and during the attached photo shoot, we shared cocktails in her library. We spent the better part of…
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Welcome to the Second Republic

Or: Lessons Learned from Ancient Rome In 27 BCE, the naval and land forces of Roman consul Octavian clashed with those loyal to Mark Antony and his Egyptian ally, Cleopatra. They met in the waters and on the lands around the Greek city of Actium, and the results were decisive, bringing an end to a…
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The Case for 2020: Year In Review

Alyssa and I were nestled tightly together on the sofa, watching Bridgerton and waiting patiently. At 11:50 p.m., I removed a bottle of Korbel from the refrigerator and popped the cork. At 11:55, I poured two glasses and sat them on the table. All the while, Miss Bridgerton and the Duke danced in the background. When…
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Care in the Time of Covid

With apologies to Señor Garcia Marquez   Every year since I moved to Tennessee, sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving, I’ve undertaken what has become an annual rite, a pilgrimage to the local doc-in-a-box for a steroid shot, a Z-pak, and a course of prednisone. This ritual comes courtesy of genes that despise ragweed, genes that rebel…
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Sinatra and Hepburn

The Jet Set

Or: How Little Mama Inspired Visions of a Glittering Future When I was about 12, my grandmother and I were sitting in the sunroom playing Gin and chatting. Memories of the subject of our conversation — the what or, more likely, the who — is a long-dead casualty to time. What I do remember, though, is…
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