The word gigil (sounds like ghee-gill) is a term from the Philippines’ Tagalog language, recently added to the Oxford English Dictionary. It refers to an intense feeling that makes us clench our hands, grit our teeth, or reach out to touch something that is irresistibly adorable. Gigil seems to be the perfect word to describe Robbie’s..
Month: April 2025
On p. 87 of Providence Point, Bella tells Robbie about her uncle … “Soon, the Major’s creditors will be able to do as they please… They’ve been after the meadow for ages and he isn’t rich any more.” “But could he live anywhere else?” “Of course not. Still, can you guess what he says?” I..
After decades abroad, I settled near southern Ontario’s Lake Erie to create my own tribute to haunts I had enjoyed in England, Provence, Morocco, and Persia. My goal was to bring together the lushness of a cottage garden, the harmony of a symmetrical parterre, and the mystery of a reflecting pool, all nestled within the..
Young Robbie recalls that on his fifth birthday … “I received a lithesome steel fishing rod of my own. In my hands, it felt robust yet unexpectedly precise. I hastened to test it on the sunfish under the dock. Though nothing I caught that day found its way to the table, I received a different..