Author Archives: Virtual Brush Box

Writing of the outside world. Origin story for A Year in Provence. Mayle moved to France to work on a novel. “Months later, he wrote his agent a long letter explaining his lack of progress on his fiction by detailing the tribulations of dealing with the French. ‘Do another 250 pages of that,’ his agentContinue reading “Attempting To Laugh At Myself, Non-Fiction Writing”

Videography of the outside world. AP News: The cameraman who skates backward to capture Olympic triumph and defeat, Barry, February 16, 2026. ~~~ Fortune’s FiligreeSchleich: Limited-Edition Lunar New Year Horse A new blog photo personality. Bought from the same breeding program as Spotted. [Spotted in Boston] I don’t know how much action Filigree will see.Continue reading “Fortune’s Filigree, Photography”

Awareness of the outside world. Boston.com: New England Aquarium builds retirement home for aging penguins, Rousseau 2025. Hat tip G. ~~~ Which discipline? The Story I Tell, First Iteration Saddle seat was always meant to be a temporary fix. Coach Courtney has known this from the beginning. [Suiting Up] 2013 “If I could jump, I’dContinue reading “Saddle Seat versus Jumping, The Potato Salad Theory”

Awareness of the outside world. Lent I know about. Ramadan, not so much. (Old Farmer’s) Almanac: Ramadan 2026: When is Ramadan? What is Ramadan? Boeckmann, February 5, 2026. ~~~ Weekly lessons with schoolhorse/schoolmaster Goldy. [The Lessons Continue] In the last week, we ticked minor milestones. + Cantered a course of poles. + Jumped a fenceContinue reading “The Progress Continues, Jumping”

Awareness of the outside world. Paris 2024, “For the first time, a family zone was introduced in the Olympic Village to support athletes with caregiving responsibilities.” Olympics.com: Gender equality through time. ~~~ Morning walks in the pasture are back up to five laps! That’s the good news. Bad news, or less good news, is thatContinue reading “Where We Are Now, Morning Walk Stories”

Awareness of the outside world. Atlantic: What Fabulous Timing for Gallup to Stop Tracking Presidential Approval! Petri, February 12, 2026. Access issues, I read as gift article on phone, paywalled on desktop. If you cannot access, it reads mostly as you would expect, with the added feature that each presidential approval rating appears as aContinue reading “Contemplating Bodywork”

Paper of the outside world. “One day when my husband and I went for a walk in the pasture, I looked down at the pile of aging, crumbling horse manure at my feet and said “I could make paper …” Byopia Press: I Could Make Paper Out Of That. ~~~ Folding directions, OrigamiUSA: Masu. Paper.Continue reading “Mardi Gras Masu Boxes, Paper Art”