November 2018 - The Brick Magazine

THE FRUITFUL DARK

bridget b2018-11-29T20:03:29-05:00

by Madeleine Forbes December is a time of paradox for those of us tuned into the seasons. And even if the rhythms of the land are not ones you pay attention too, you probably know what I’m talking about. One one hand, there’s the buzz and gaiety of the holidays — brightly-lit spaces, gatherings with family and friends, the hustle and chaos of feasting. And on the other, there’s the stillness of the land. The trees stand bare; the sap moves inward, stalling growth. Movement is kept to a minimum. The birds forage quickly, finding what spare sustenance they can. The [...]

THE FRUITFUL DARKbridget b2018-11-29T20:03:29-05:00

HOLIDAY JOY: LAUGHTER IS GOOD MEDICINE

bridget b2018-11-29T20:01:26-05:00

BY LISA PROFERA MD As you get caught up in the busy holiday season, take some time to laugh. My advice one year ago in the first issue of BRICK discussed ways to stress less over the holidays. Now that we have hit the one-year anniversary of this wonderful magazine, I hope that you have benefitted from the helpful perspectives and practices shared by all of the authors this year. Holiday time can be a time of stress, but we can keep that to a minimum and place the focus back onto joy. Taking time to laugh can help. You may [...]

HOLIDAY JOY: LAUGHTER IS GOOD MEDICINEbridget b2018-11-29T20:01:26-05:00

Reflections on a Girl’s Journey through Ice and Life

bridget b2018-11-29T20:01:39-05:00

Review by Bernadette Quist of the book Across the Lake by Lee Zacharias Author Lee Zacharias adeptly captures the mind and voice of both a five-year-old girl and an eighty-year-old woman — sometimes on the same page. Mostly, we hear from sassy, ahead-of-her-time Fern who goes on the trip of a lifetime with her mostly illusive freighter-captain father. He takes her to work with him on his Lake Michigan railcar ferry when her mother becomes too ill to care for her. Fern’s father is gone most of the time, but on one sadly memorable trip, he makes the decision to take her [...]

Reflections on a Girl’s Journey through Ice and Lifebridget b2018-11-29T20:01:39-05:00

LET’S HOST A BEER DINNER

bridget b2018-11-29T20:24:36-05:00

By Liz Crowe Welcome to Booze 101, a new and ongoing column here at Brick Magazine. Together, we will explore various options on the alcohol shelf and what you can do with them that does not involve an ice luge, red solo cups, or ping pong balls.* For December, I’ve decided to go with something dear to me: pairing great beer with food. A.k.a., The Beer-Pairing Dinner. Don’t fret if you don’t think you know about the differences in beer. I’m going to provide you with some specific recommendations. They should be available at most chain groceries, but for a couple [...]

LET’S HOST A BEER DINNERbridget b2018-11-29T20:24:36-05:00

Anger: Gunfire vs. Fire In Our Belly

bridget b2018-11-29T20:02:09-05:00

by Morella Devost, EdM, MA What is happening in our communities? As I write this, people are mourning eleven Jewish brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh. The pipe bomber had his first court appearance. Every day, we see proof that old-school civility in politics and evening news has been replaced by insults, vitriol, and blaming. We have an anger problem in our country (and world), and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. But before we are tempted to point the finger, let’s all pause to explore what’s really behind the collective anger issue. The problem is not that there is [...]

Anger: Gunfire vs. Fire In Our Bellybridget b2018-11-29T20:02:09-05:00

Your Kitchen’s Winter Arsenal

bridget b2018-11-29T20:02:22-05:00

By Jillian Fraioli I’m what you’d call a food hoarder. If an archaeologist went on an excavation in my freezer, they’d find my stash: chicken bones from roasted or rotisserie chickens, ham bones, fish bones; shrimp shells, multiple bags of vegetable detritus (they can be very useful!); ice cubes of chimichurri and pesto, stocks of various flavors, small amounts of leftover spaghetti sauce, meat scraps, and frozen ginger bits. I’m that person that if you invite me over and you’re throwing away any kind of bone, I’ll ask to take it home. To me, this is a boon. I can conjure [...]

Your Kitchen’s Winter Arsenalbridget b2018-11-29T20:02:22-05:00