ABSILVER's World

Happy new year!  Welcome to 2018, which cannot be any zanier than 2017. A year ago, I wrote in my blog about surrendering to 2017 .  I was wondering can Donald Trump really be as nutty and ignorant of the world and national politics as he seemed during the campaign?  Mystery solved!! A year ago, Frank and I were sitting in the condominium in Fort Lauderdale wondering about the year ahead,. We both enjoyed our friends and work, but found ourselves ready for a change.  We had explored over the years a number of options of places to move; Tallahassee, Savannah, Asheville, Richmond, and others. The requirement was that the place had to have a balance of closeness to family, professional opportunity, quality of life, and higher elevation.  Frank had dreamed of living in Austin. While I had been to Austin many times for work, I had never really taken the time to really explore all it has to offer.  There is plenty of tec...

And.. who was playing? We wake up on a Monday morning, cool autumn hits Austin, after a nice weekend with dinner with Frank's sister and brother-in-law.  Snuggled in bed and the alarm goes off and I do as I do every morning and grab my phone and check the news. What do I see this morning?  At 5am they thought more than 20 died, by the time I hit the shower over 50 people killed and 200 injured by one man on a balcony at the Mandalay Bay down on a group of people's whose only crime was the joy of country music on a fall evening in Vegas. What was the first questions to me?  Who was playing?   Why we are growing accustom that on any given day in this country some mad man (tends to be men and mostly white) is going to decide this is his day to take out revenge, kill innocent people, and then perish at the hands of the police or his own hand. As a country, we are recovering from three hurricanes to hit our shores.  Harvey, Irma and Maria each ...

I am in the progress of moving to Austin from Fort Lauderdale, and I love the beach.  So each morning I have been walking a different part of the beach and chronicling that with pictures on Facebook.  I love the morning time, it is just me, the rising sun and a fresh start of the day and probably have spent more time in my mind than focusing on the different beaches. It is easy to look at the beach with different lenses or focus.  We have a long east coast in this country all following the Atlantic Ocean.  If you look at it that simply, what does it matter whether one walks the ocean along cape cod, Tybee Island, or Key West?  Well it obviously matters as climate, weather, and topography of the land change and the view of the ocean and the different types of wild life change as well.  If you have followed me over the last few days, as I walk the beach, over what is maybe 12 miles you may have noticed each day the beach looks different, depending ...

There are roads less taken in this world.  I find, in my life, that has tended to be my path. I sit here this morning in Fort Lauderdale, looking at fogged over windows because I keep the AC on way cold at night, and this is a sign that summer and its humidity is truly here.   Looking around the condo, that started as my home in early 2011 and in a city, I have called home since 1992 I know the dauntless task of packing begins. Except for a few years in the mid 2000’s I have had part of my life and much of my heart in Fort Lauderdale for 27 years and in this building for 25 of those years.  Along the way have shared my home with others, dogs and split lives with New York, New Jersey and Provincetown but always had my foundation here in Fort Lauderdale and in this building. I sit here, with more coffee, after going to Home Depot for moving boxes, tape, and markers to put off the start of packing, and another sign that we are moving away to Austin, TX....

Today is such a serious day, in serious times we live in.  So, I thought I would visit a topic that brings an occasional tear in my eye.  Mamma Mia the movie. You may have heard of it, it is based on a book that brings together ABBA songs into a movie musical.  I confess, as many gay men would, that I love ABBA music.  Always has a beat, good lyrics, and an occasional song like "Winner Takes it All" where it can just sneak into your mind and soul. My other confession, as someone who has experienced some great Broadway Musicals, to never having seen Mamma Mia on Broadway. Now, It isn't because I didn't think it was artistic enough, not some prima donna art lover.  If you have read my blog you know one of my favorite Musicals was "Hair Spray".  Truth be told I don't think I went to see it because, and not sure, and thought it would run for ever. So, what does this have to do with the Movie.  It turns out not too much, other tha...

Celebrating my Mom on Mother's Day! 2023 Update for Mother's Day! It is Mother’s Day 2023… I wrote this a few years ago to share my love and admiration for my mom. This last year has reminded me more of how amazing and strong she is. My father, her husband of sixty-three years, passed away, and her courage and strength through these trying times are a great reminder of why I admire her. Her zest for life, her love of her family, and her inner strength to cope with a new life without my Dad in a new home is amazing and a lesson to her family. Hope all the mothers in the world have a fabulous day! . You start out Mother's Day thinking about your early years of life.   My earliest memories were in Lagrange, GA.  Vaguely remember, but I remember picking pecans from the grove nearby and going to the Struletzes, and they had a candy cabinet,   Not just a shelf but a whole cabinet of candy.  I remember cousins visiting and getting into trouble.  I also remember M...

Birthdays and Short Ribs In light , of all the serious news of the day, and a year that seems to be full of changes for everyone, I thought I would share something near and dear to my heart as yesterday was Frank’s birthday To celebrate we had a few friends over, for beef short ribs.  I have heard others say how hard they are to make, and honest they are quite easy, and so I thought I would take you all through my adventure of making them on Thursday.   First, we start with the recipe, from Bon Appetite, at http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/short-rib-lasagna .  I ended up not making the lasagna but I stand by the recipe for cooking the ribs. Shopping As all good kitchen cooks know, success  starts with the best quality ingredients.  Whole Foods or Fresh Market will, but for special occasions and recipes, only a real butcher will do if you have one nearby. Especially if you are cooking a special cut of meat, like short ribs and ...