It has been a strangely hectic couple of weeks here in the countryside, and my blogging duties have suffered as a result. Apologies. Urgent business at hand: The main structure on the property is quite old, as you know, and the roof has a number of leaks, as you might have guessed. Buckets, pieces of … More Update from the Countryside…Countdown to the Coronation
Thank you, Melissa!
“Don’t tell anyone you’re buying a chateau.” Such was the refrain from everyone we spoke with in Paris: Parisians will be jealous. Parisians will think you’re a fool. People will try to take advantage of you. These warnings came, almost verbatim, from Americans, Brits, and even Parisians themselves. Of course, the default mental setting for … More Discretion and Duty
Recently I’d mentioned that my wife and I had left our apartment in Paris and relocated to the French countryside. This was indeed the case, but not the full truth. My ingrained tendency toward privacy and even secrecy in my personal life made me hesitate. But my perspective has changed after two short months into … More The Next Adventure…
There are subjects that we think we understand. Then there are books we read that completely demolish the illusion of that understanding. Such is “Former People – The Last Days of the Russian Aristocracy” by Douglas Smith. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of Russia, its history, its culture, its politics. Not so … More What I’m Reading Now
I recently sat down with international wealth manager Bogumil Baranowski to discuss Old Money concepts and how they relate to the preservation of wealth…and living a richer life. Bogumil is a unique position when it comes to Old Money: he advises families who have had money for hundreds of years, as well as individuals who … More Talking Billions: My Interview with Wealth Manager Bogumil Baranowski
I am grateful every day for my ability to feel, see, taste, smell, and hear. I would not want to be numb, either physically or emotionally, to the world’s sensations and experiences, good or bad. My vision is far from perfect, but I can watch movies and take in sunsets. I can catch the whiff … More The Five Senses…Revisited
I am constantly considering strategies and techniques that will help me be more productive. These run the gamut from simple prioritizing (first things first) to more involved, philosophical approaches like defining and refining my purpose in life. Recently, a friend related an interesting approach which I’d heard previously expounded upon by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of … More Thought, Word, and Deed
I’ve been less than consistent with the blog over the past few months, despite the best of intentions. An apology–and a brief explanation–are in order. We have left Paris and are now living in the French countryside. The purchase of a run-down house in the Loire-Atlantique region was an odyssey unto itself, but not quite … More A Brief Explanation
One of our commenters, NL, provided the link below from the Saltwater New England blog. It refers to appropriate clothing as ‘the thing before preppy’, which I think is the perfect way to describe Old Money Style. https://www.saltwaternewengland.com/2023/03/why-people-love-preppy-clothes-why.html?m=1 Ms. Aldrich also articulates quite nicely the enduring appeal of this wardrobe: it fits this way of … More The Thing Before Preppy