Completely consumed by his research and maximizing ‘field work’, our ‘father-son’ outings consisted of innumerable museums in contrast to my peers who shared paternal fishing, camping, boy scouts, and playing ball. At age of 10, I rebelled and refused to set foot in the Boston Fine Arts Museum one more time (every Sunday) … they allowed me to stand across the street alone to watch my preferred football. Early on, with such overexposure, I became inoculated against museums. Perhaps an unsurprising start for an art historian’s son. As the vaccination wore thin, I took one course in Chinese art h ..read more

Well, I missed my X-mas, New Year’s, Chinese New Year’s, Leap Day and Eclipse Day deadlines for my annual 2023 summary. Here we are one-third into 2024, so a short summary of both. Still alive. In many respects, a somatic year to forget. Four major health hurdles, including COVID inopportunely contracted in Canada that lead to quarantining and delayed return to the US. These obstacles necessitated multiple Emergency visits, three surgical procedures and two with long-term implications. Certainly humbling, both physically and cerebrally. Naturally, these challenges raised serious musings about ..read more

I just finished Outlive by Peter Attia MD that remains on the NYT nonfiction bestseller list. It is THE best book I’ve read on healthy aging, to increase not just lifespan but healthspan – the hopefully healthy prolongation of life. I’m not going to recap but he does a superlative job of discussion the deep but intertwined roots of metabolic/obesity, heart disease, cancer and neurogenerative diseases and lifestyle approaches to addressing them through exercise, stability and balance, nutritional biochemistry (diet), sleep, and emotional health. What I really wanted to share are direct quotes f ..read more

Usually, I’m not in Colorado in September, I’m still up in Vancouver finishing my summer-long Chen Tai Chi 6-days a week bootcamp. Instead, this year I was to return in early September to attend a World Congress in Pediatric Neurogastroenterology at my former hospital Nationwide Children’s in Columbus. But the gods had other plans and touched me with COVID 3 days before departure. I delayed my departure and quarantined for the mandatory 5 days, and snuck home still positive/infectious. Then with visions of a super spreader … I canceled the conference trip but gave my talk – on cannabinoid hype ..read more

A planned preamble to another white water rafting trip down the middle fork of the Salmon replete with many grade 3-4 rapids. Then, a road bump and a decision. Eight interminable nosebleeds – 3 ED visits, a (very descriptive) rhinoRocket, 20% blood loss with anemia, finally ENT cautery of an ethmoid artery bleed, left me vulnerable. A vital debate – probably OK during rafting vs. possible rebleed during trip with no cell service/medical access for six days (? helicopter out, ruined trip for 25) … finally canceled for medical reasons. Still, 36 hours at Glacier with the two g’kidz. Adaptability ..read more

Five former graduate students of my father gathered for a mini-reunion in town in early June. Kurt, Susan, Janet, David and Pat have all had successful careers in Chinese or Japanese art history as professor, curators, architect and art appraiser/author. I was uniquely privileged, as a ‘bee’ on the wall, to listen to two full days of reminiscences of how each became his students, his pedagogy, teaching and mentoring style, and his and my mother’s impact on their lives. While here, they viewed his Chinese ink art collection including some that I have recently added while interpreting colophons ..read more

Why write about my 11th trip to Japan? Well, it was a wonderful and fulfilling trip, but not without significant snafus at the intersection of age, health and international travel, perhaps a signpost? Most still mask in public and on public transportation. Shinjuku subway station close to our hotel transports 2.4 million passengers/day. We swam through them at rush hour only to be packed like sardines. It remains one of the safest spots in the world anwhere, anytime day or night. The cultural ethos cherishes aesthetics down to each package wrapper. The buses, trains and shinkansen (bullet) arr ..read more

 It was the first in person annual meeting of North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in 3 years and quite a number of us were meeting face-to-face for the first time rather than as talking Zoom heads.  NASPGHAN is the national professional organization that represents all 2,700 pediatric gastroenterologists, hepatologists and nutritionists in the US and Canada recently affiliated with our Mexican colleagues.  Typically some 1,700+ meet annually for a Single Topic Symposium on Wednesday, the annual Post-Graduate Course ..read more

As I mentioned in the previous blog, I’ve developed some young friends – who are they?  I thought I would provide a few snapshots.   Katja is Finnish(Swedish-speaking)-American, a protégé, a mother of three (4-14), an ex-Division I tennis player, and now an NIH-funded clinical scientist who is not only carrying on my Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Program yet independently pursuing novel vagal neuromodulation therapy.  She is Superwoman – she walked across the Atlantic ­– uphill both ways!  Her children speak Swedish, Croatian and English, and her eldest a gir ..read more

I’m taking a moment to reflect over the past 11 years as tomorrow is the Teri’s anniversary.  A montage of memories of her insurmountable 19 month illness with innumerable complications confronted with grace and equanimity;  followed by caring for my declining father for 3½ years 22/7 while working and learning new living skills with no time for grief;  another 3 years organizing his memorials, academic and collection legacy, and, with the help of family, friends and counseling coming to peace with the hand dealt and finally emerging into refreshed air.   ..read more