February 21, 2021
by jenniferpuryear
My friend Mary Jo Shankle has found her way – perhaps her calling – during the pandemic. Here’s what she has to say. Thank you for spending some time in the Bacon Neighborhood today, Mary Jo! It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood because you’re here. Let’s start at Monteagle – an hour away, as the car drives – and yet also a world …
January 31, 2021
by jenniferpuryear
If you want to know a person, figure out what aggravates them. For Sean Kinch? “My hips creak when I run, clever mice in our basement have learned how to avoid traps, Balzac wrote too many novels, and I have no memory whatsoever of the summer of 1990. None.” I’m waiting for this book to be written, Sean!! In the meanwhile, I’m so delighted for …
January 24, 2021
by jenniferpuryear
On the best days, words fail the gleaming – fading – world. A tiny songbird with a yellow stripe on her head visits the old spruce tree. She hops from one branch to another, eyeballing me. I’ve never seen her like before – and maybe I never will again. Even the darkest clouds are illuminated. On those days “sorrow and love flow mingled down” …
January 6, 2021
by jenniferpuryear
Staying sane in the time of corona has gotten easier in some ways and harder in others. I find myself Really Impatient in the home stretch. ML Davis stops in at Bacon today with some good energy and reading recommendations, including a terrific 25 cent purchase. I’m in a better mood already! * * * Thank you for spending some time …
December 6, 2020
by jenniferpuryear
You’re on a galloping horse. On your right is a sharp drop off, and on your left is an elephant traveling at the same speed as you. Directly in front of you is another galloping horse, but your horse is unable to overtake it. Behind you is a lion in pursuit. What must you do to get out of this dangerous situation? … Get your …
November 8, 2020
by jenniferpuryear
And now – we exhale. It seems the perfect moment to check in with Mary Raymond, in between one place and another herself. She moved not too long ago and has been figuring out furniture, paint, the rest. Her bookshelves. * * * “What got you thinking about your ideal bookshelf, Mary?” I asked. “Well, Jennifer, it started, as …
October 29, 2020
by jenniferpuryear
I’ve seen a lot of kindness the last 6 days, after taking a spill with Daisy the puppy on the stairs while spending a weekend away. A surgeon in Nashville repaired the 3 broken bones in my left ankle, adding some shiny new hardware and reattaching a tendon; the 2 breaks in the right foot will heal on their own in a boot. In the meanwhile – immobilized, …
September 2, 2020
by jenniferpuryear
The other day I loaded Pepper and Daisy into the car along with their boundless energy and enthusiasm. Sometimes it feels like I have four dogs instead of two. We drove to Miss Kitty’s, where Daisy goes to doggy daycare, and I realized that I didn’t have my phone. Hmmm, I thought. Where could that phone be. And how am I going to get Daisy …
August 30, 2020
by jenniferpuryear
My couples’ book club just discussed “True Grit” by Charles Portis, one of the finest, funniest books I’ve ever read. I was out of town for the conversation – DARN – but some of my book club friends were happy to share a few thoughts. After a brief summary and a few Bacon ruminations, I’ll turn it over to Goldilocks and the Hunter, Pulaski and …
August 26, 2020
by jenniferpuryear
I feel unmoored, I told my family, on day ten in the twilight zone. On day eleven, I drove back to Nashville…