We met a woman this weekend who ran the Boston Marathon. It didn’t come up until we’d chatted for a while at a party. She didn’t even bring it up, but after she casually mentioned that she’s a marathoner, I asked if she knew anyone in Boston. I was there, she said, before adding she’d finished just 23 seconds before…
I have a fantasy about being a regular at the perfect bar. When I walk in, I’m greeted with a big smile by a server who knows what I like. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQpL5ZLQHyw] Problem is, I’m not the kind of person who can easily cultivate regular status. I’ve read articles that give pointers on becoming a regular, with suggestions like: Go to…
Earlier this year, New York magazine ran an article headlined “How to Read 31 Books in Four Minutes.” Far more abridged than even Cliff Notes, the article included just a handful of ideas from each self-help book. Maybe the universe will collapse in on itself if I further summarize an already very brief synopsis of some of the books they…
I didn’t know much about David Foster Wallace when he died. I’d read a few of his essays and his widely circulated commencement address at Kenyon College, but that was the extent of it. The intensity of the reaction from well-read friends when Wallace committed suicide gave me a view into how admired he was. Flash forward a few years,…
This weekend’s East Coast blizzard got everyone talking snow — and that makes sense, because I can probably count on my fingers the good snow storms we’ve had in NYC since we moved here almost seven years ago. But John and I have noticed that if it’s colder than, say, 68 degrees, people complain about how cold it is, and…
Like many people, it’s easy for me to get caught up in my aspirations for more — a bigger home, more money, greater success. Harvard Business Review‘s article, The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, challenges that. Instead of more [fill in the blank with whatever you are chasing here], focus on the right things. Author Greg McKeown starts by defining “the…
These last couple of days whipped me between wild extremes. Sunday morning, I couldn’t find my keys. I tore up the apartment — something I try to prevent by trying to always hang my keys near the door — and got increasingly frustrated and concerned … until I realized my husband had taken them by accident. Later that day, I…
My husband and I haven’t missed a Jazz Fest since Katrina and we lived in New Orleans for three months in 2011, so we often get requests from friends about what to do. I’ve compiled an ever-expanding list to share when someone asks. These are my NOLA tips — I welcome your additions, questions or objections: In general, New Orleans…
Do you remember that exhilarating feeling the first time someone you adored said those magic words, “I love you?” And do you remember the gut-wrenching feeling the first time you realized that someone who’d been throwing around the L word didn’t really love you? At least, not in the way you needed? How you demonstrate your love matters. John and…
One of the themes I come across consistently in seeking out fodder for my blog is that happiness is not something you get because of external forces — you will *not* become happy simply because you get a new job or lose 20 pounds — but instead is something you cultivate internally. So I could lose myself in the wonderful…
How are those resolutions coming? If you’re already stumbling, maybe you need some positive peer pressure. Just after the new year, I spent the better part of a day with two of my favorite ladies working on our 2013 plans. The three of us are at different places in our lives, with different ambitions and different ways of organizing our…
At a fantastic New Year’s Day party, I talked to another guest about how smart we were in college, how our 20-year-old selves had it all figured out. Then we laughed, making affectionate fun of the cockiness of youth and the perspective we now have that our youthful selves had oh so much to learn. But here’s the thing: apparently…
Maybe you have this holiday week off, or maybe you’re just enjoying a little come down after a jam-packed month of parties, shopping, pageants or religious observances. I love the holidays — taking down the Christmas tree is one of my least favorite days of the year — but feels like many of us have let out a small sigh…
Throughout this year, several bloggers have engaged in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. It’s been an honor to share Newvine Growing with these smart, thoughtful, articulate, committed women: Mary Jean Babic Kay Hoffman Goluska Lauren McCabe Maria Stuart Amy Throndsen Eleanor Traubman Lesley Ware Jennifer Worick Every week, one of…
Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012. Today’s question comes from Kay Hoffman Goluska, who blogs at Pen on Pointe. She’s @PenOnPointe on Twitter. The original topic…
Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012. Today’s question comes from the fashionable, creative Lesley Ware, www.thecreativecookie.net. On Twitter, Lesley is @creativecookie. The holidays always conjure…
One of the highlights of our month-long stay in San Francisco was spending time with our temporary roommates, a collection of smart, ambitious young people who graciously welcomed us and shared not just their home but great conversations on various and sundry topics. I especially enjoyed that our fortunate timing meant we were living with Cameron Boehmer after he wrapped…
Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012. Last week, Mary Jean Babic asked about your relationship with stuff, and this week’s question builds on that notion…
The morning after Halloween, I was riding my bike through our Brooklyn neighborhood and all seemed normal. A woman carrying a Starbucks coffee carried on a cellphone conversation about how many trick or treaters they’d gotten, a jogger wearing white earbuds and spandex dashed by, a dog walker dutifully scooped up poop. And it all made me suddenly, intensely angry.…
Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012. Today’s question comes from Mary Jean Babic, a Brooklyn-based writer and a new blogger on a Tumblr site called…
