[You do realize, I hope, that 2026 will be the 200th birthday of The Parsonage (not to mention Silverbelle Sandy's 80th). SB SM] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vjz6zoCbdw
Happy Holidays from The Parsonage
Solstice Celebration … Christmas Eve
What Amuses Us (Whitney Campbell Morris) There is no shortage of cheesy holiday rom-coms to choose from, from the cadre of unexceptional Hallmark Channel procedurals to classics like Holiday Inn. For me, the best of the bunch is the mega-ensemble British take, Love Actually. It never fails to make me both laugh and cry. The... Continue Reading →
Gift Guide for ‘backs & ‘belles
[The holidays are upon us, and one of the traditions is the exchange of gifts, but what do you give a Silverback who lives his life naked, eats leaves and bananas, sleeps in a hand-made nest, and already has a harem? A Rolex? Here are some suggestions for the Silverback, Silverbelle, Silverbabe, Silverbuck, or Silverpup... Continue Reading →
Happy Holi-daze – 12/19/25
What We Eat ... (Silverbelle Sandy) BUON NATALE PASTA You can count on this simple recipe for a festive bowl of red and green sweet peppers with pasta to dress up a holiday dinner table. In the cold, dark days of winter, the fragrance of frying peppers is a love letter from summers past. Here... Continue Reading →
Happy Holidaze, 12/18/25
Let's get this party started: [This was, originally, a Pandemic Project. We all spent the 2020 holiday season in isolation. I asked my immediate family members to contribute suggestions for movies, songs, recipes, memories, and even travel fantasies appropriate to the holidays, whatever your religious affliction. In the years since, the tradition has been maintained,... Continue Reading →
Finding Calm—and Connection—in Coffee Rituals
[More than one Silverback has told me they peruse their daily digest over a ritual cup of Java. When you think of it, however, it's quite bizarre to think that so many of us habitually consume such an exotic beverage and have surrounded it with equally bizarre rituals. Then again, think about Coca Cola. SB... Continue Reading →
This ISN’T funny!
[Yesterday was Silly Saturday, when we give ourselves permission to be stupid or outrageous in the eternal quest for a giggle, or at least a smile. Today, however, we wipe the smile off our hairy faces. Editorial policy at Silverback Digest? Anything goes, so long as it's not politics or pornography. On the surface this... Continue Reading →
Scarborough Fair Dressing … to Stuff, or not to Stuff? … that is the question.
[First of all ... is it "stuffing" or "dressing?" I maintain the former, reasoning that it is intended to be "stuffed" inside the bird, absorbing all wonderful drippings and juices that transform stale bread into the tapestry of flavor and richness that make this day so special. Silverbelle Sandy, however, says she read on the... Continue Reading →
Silverback Jon Publishes Coal Country
[I haven't seen Silverback Jon, since (my guess) 1964. He was the older brother of one of my classmates, and we walked to school together occasionally. Our paths crossed again when we both had achieved Silverback status, and his work has been proudly featured in this Digest. His book Coal Country is now available, and... Continue Reading →
Left in the Yard
[Kristina Stykos is a musician, Substacker, and landscaper who writes very evocatively about life in rural Vermont. Today UFC (Unidentifiable Falling/Frozen Crud) is falling on a screaming tundra landscape. It's a world that can turn from bountiful to life-threatening very quickly. I could also say "without warning," but we've had plenty of warning. We just... Continue Reading →