I tend to think of birthdays as soul-searching times, taking stock of one’s life times. On the eve of another birthday, I’m giving a lot of thought to who I want to be going forward. I know this: I want to be kind. I want to spread love. I want to be as gracious as […]
Dear Candidates/Elected Officials, A group of friends recently gathered at a dive bar in the shadows of the U.S. Capitol. We did not talk politics. Instead, we told stories of our friend Eve: how her favorite accessories were a big smile and perfect red lipstick, how we loved her thick southern accent and glorious sense of fun, how […]
I wanted to to write about the best kind of conspiracies: not the “secret plan to do something unlawful” kinds; no, let’s focus on “acting in harmony towards a common end” stories. About the ones acting to close the opportunity deficits that exist across America. I wanted to tell you about a recent visit to Richmond, where […]
To the many who claim to hate politics, I beg of you: don’t. Does our political system seem broken? Yes, it does. Can it work? Absolutely. It has to. David Brooks penned an article that I can’t stop thinking about. In “The Governing Cancer of Our Time,” Brooks, a conservative columnist for The New York Times, wrote of the […]
You meet her shortly after you move into a little brick tree house nestled in a hill. There is a creek and a park that you visit almost every day. You share the swings with two saucy blond sisters. Your mothers chat for hours while you three explore. Pebbles are collected and carried up to the narrow bridge. You lean over and toss […]
No, this isn’t about Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders, though I get a kick out of their very New York way of pronouncing “huge.” Here’s my yuge New York-related news: I’m going to be represented by InkWell Management, where I get to work with the fabulous Liz Parker! I have a literary agent! (Note: I am usually judicious when it comes […]
Hello! I’ve writing news to share, including a new website name. First, though: happy spring. One of my tricks to getting through winter is keeping out my two favorite Christmas decorations until spring arrives. Because aside from my daughter’s birthday, I’m not a huge fan of that last season. If promise was a color it would be yellow: […]
You are contemplating Marie Kondo’s best selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, because it promises to change your life. But you are crazy busy and also you may have misplaced the copy that called to you from the bargain book aisle at Costco. (Pro tip: Good chance it’s shoved […]
Bruce Springsteen is bringing The River Tour to DC’s Verizon Center this week and it’s bringing me back thirty years. Many in my Maryland high school crowd loved Bruce and the E Street Band. We danced to “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” knew every word to “Badlands,” mourned lost youth in “The River.” The summer of […]
Do you have a tenacious toddler? I did too. The kind who wanted to push her own stroller and water the plants and feed the dog all by herself. Some other signs your child may fit in the strong-willed category: she will say “I do” and “by myself” a lot. She will look at the outfit you’ve suggested, go […]