little bits of joy
who scent you?
When it comes to the power of our memories, it seems that our sense of scent is a sure way to find our way home, so to speak. Music can take us there; old photos, certainly; even the taste of a once-forgotten, now-remembered food. But scent seems to surprise us more, perhaps because it wafts […]
nosh, nosh, who’s there?
To understand that noshing is an art is to realize one of life’s great joys. Yes, a nosh is akin to a snack; to nosh is to nibble at a non-mealtime. But it is so much more – and to nosh like an expert, you need to understand some of the guidelines. Most important, a […]
seventh inning stretch
I can’t help it – I’m a Yankees girl. Growing up in NY when I did, the choices were the Yankees or the Mets. Given that my mom rooted for the Yankees and my dad the Giants; given that the Giants moved out of town the year I was born (along with “da bums” from […]
what’s up, buttercup?
Few inanimate objects are as happy as a cupcake. These delightful “cups of cake” (as B. calls them) provide the exactly right proportion of downright joy per square bite. Because each cupcake is its own universe of pure indulgence, each is another chance to explore something new. Unlike a slice from a full-on cake (and […]
melt my heart
I’ve found that trying to be zen is more stressful than not, so I have learned to just let myself be me and roll with the punches. The truth is that the more I may try to get through a day without some kind of silly mishap, the more the mischief gods notice me and […]
what the world needs now
With Valentine’s Day just around the weekend corner (the day after Super Bowl Sunday, which, in my mind, is one of the least romantic days of the year), it’s only natural that romance comes to mind. And beyond the age-old argument about Valentine’s Day really being a greeting-card-company-created holiday, I have a bigger issue to […]
yes, virginia, there is a laughter clause
Happy holidays, dear readers! This post made its debut a few years ago (under a different title) and I still find it chuckle-inducing enough to warrant another run, particularly this holiday season when we can all use some laughter. Here’s hoping for a time when our celebrations will indeed be limitless and our world a […]
outside the lines
In my ongoing effort to explore new areas of creativity, I recently discovered what I thought would be my next artistic endeavor – a paint-by-numbers kit. “Simple!” the package cried out. “Create a masterpiece as easy as 1-2-3!” it extolled. “You’ll be painting in minutes!” it promised. And I, who have spent my entire career […]
stuffing & nonsense
You know that saying that goes, “Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean people aren’t following me”? Well, I’d like to present the corollary, at least in how it refers to me. That would be, “Just because seemingly random, messy situations happen to me doesn’t mean that the universe isn’t laughing its ass off. At my […]
write the joy
Writers write for many reasons. For me, it’s all about the joy. Writing the joy means not only writing what you know – the advice given to writers probably since the beginning of time – but writing about what makes you happy. The people, the places, the passions that fuel you. The words themselves that […]
rice on your head 