Everyone needs that friend who always says the right thing
Years ago, when I’d once again waited until the absolute last minute to decide what to wear to an event, I stood in my bedroom ripping through my closet. As I threw dresses and slacks and skirts onto the bed, I spied the periwinkle Norma Kamali sleeveless sheath dress...
Barbarians at the Gate
When I find myself not writing, I need to ask myself, what is it that I don’t want to write about? Because it’s not like me not to be writing. So if I’m not, and I haven’t been, I need to stop telling myself I just don’t feel like it and I have nothing to say. Oh no....
2 Minutes with Jenn (and Joe)
Recently, my exceptionally talented and successful friend, Jennifer E. Goldman, launched a video series on LinkedIn called "2 Minutes with Joe." For 120 seconds (give or take) every day, Jenn sips her coffee (the Joe in the title) and talks about an issue that's on...
Beach Dreams
I've had beach dreams - dreams of moving to the beach - for forever. As a kid, I cried when we came home from our vacations in Chadwick Beach, New Jersey. When Stu and I were dating and hitting Jenkinson's Pavilion in Point Pleasant every weekend, I used to beg him to...
Thought for today
🌟Count your blessings.🌟 Hmm, I guess that's more than a thought since it sounds a whole lot like a directive which might mean I'm feeling a little feisty but, hey, I'm the first born, giving directives (and short sheeting the beds of younger siblings...
Thought for today
🌟Last year was tough, but we learned that we’re tougher. 🌟Last year forced us to stop mid plan and pivot, but we discovered we could do so and in doing so we discovered levels of creativity and resilience and flexibility many of us didn’t know we...
How to Get a Literary Agent
How do you get a literary agent? First, have a dear friend whose former college roommate just happens to be a literary agent. Ask that dear friend to make an introduction and wa la! You've landed an agent. But what if you don't have a dear friend whose college...
I’m ready to run my mask over with my car.
No kidding. I'm ready to run my face mask over with my car. I'm sick of wearing it. Why? Because it messes with everything. If you've gotten your hair cut lately, you know how disheartening it is when the stylist whips you around for the big "reveal" and you're like...
Swimming in Inspiration
I subscribe to a service called TED Recommends. Once a week I get a link to a TED talk that, based on my viewing history, they think I'll enjoy. It's a little Big Brother-ish, but I don't mind since they're almost always right. And this week's selection, well I didn't...
How Are You Staying Sane During the Pandemic?
I really want to know. How are you staying sane during the pandemic? I'm unsure I am sane, now or any time frankly, but since March I've found myself adding things to my day because, as I'm sure you'll agree, they've been very long days. Sure I'm busy with work (in...
Present Over Perfect? Hell Yeah!
Lately I'm on a mission to find books that support my "flaws are the new black" position. I find them, read them, and share them with a "Hey, you! Love yourself already for Pete's sake!" type attitude. Yes, I'm a little impatient. It's one of my "flaws." But, as any...
How I Learned to Love My Bubblegum Machine Mouth
Me: You’re going to wear that? Don’t you think it’s a little tight? My sweetheart: Really? But I thought… Oh wow. I love this suit. Dear God, I have no filter. Everything I think comes right out of my mouth like a piece of bubblegum shooting straight out of the...
Start with self-acceptance
I think a lot about flaws, and I talk to lots of people, mostly women, who are stuck on what they perceive as their flaws. Even yesterday, a very dear friend who's also a super successful businesswoman called me to go over a list (a list!) she'd made of things she...
Forget perfection
When I write, I start with all good intentions. I open a new Word document, stare at the empty whiteness, and flee immediately to the safety of the Lifestyle section on MSN.com. Of course, I need to read the “Top 25 Ways to Look Younger” before I write a word. I’m 58...
There’s a Bear by the Pool!
It’s half an hour until wine time on Saturday afternoon and I’m in the sun room curled up on one of our bright yellow recliners, desperate to finish the last few pages of Liane Moriarity’s The Hypnotist’s Love Story. I’ve been hypnotized by all its pages and now,...
Never in my life
Never in my life did I envision a day when I’d conference with my coworkers via video while looking professional from the waist up and homeless from the waist down, decide in March that the only Christmas gift worth discovering under the tree is toilet paper, or find...
Forget the news. Go for the funny stuff.
If you're looking for a break from the news, love to laugh, and have never read 500 Acres and No Place to Hide, More Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl, this post is for you (and anyone you know who's never read it so please forward it). I've put the entire first...
How to procrastinate like a pro
As a professional procrastinator, I am uniquely qualified to guide you in putting off everything you should be doing but for whatever reason don't want to do. I'm not particularly proud of this but I am good at it, and that's something to be proud of. Right now, for...