Postcard from My Life

Dan and me last Monday in The Sunshine State. We flew down for five nights to attend the wedding of Florida Orange, our goddaughter. We stayed in Homestead, where the wedding took place. The drive to Miami was about 40 minutes. Photo by Punch.

I can't believe I haven't blogged since November.

On the other side of our Florida trip, I wanted to jot a few notes. We returned last Wednesday.

We packed not just our suitcases, with swimsuits, sunscreen, and wedding clothes, but also our complicated and wrinkly-crinkly personalities, of course. Dan booked on Travelocity and instead of the two lovely, chilled, carefully decorated and kitchen- and laundry-equipped Airbnb homes we splurged on the last two years (the first was steps from the beach), this was the Travelodge by Wyndham Florida City Homestead Everglades motel with a free hot breakfast. (Even so, it was about $1,000 total for five nights and every room was full, many with foreign tourists.) We also had to get plane tickets for three of us, etc. and not overspend. (Fig flew JetBlue and has rewards.)

We did relax, even though we shared one room with two queen beds. I tried to prepare myself mentally ahead of time for that togetherness. (Figgy spent three out of five nights with the bride in Boynton Beach.) We were busy a lot. A rental car means everything. We explored Key Largo a little; drove to South Beach, Miami and enjoyed the gorgeous blue water and the beauty of the breeze; attended the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. Three of Dan's four brothers and two of my sisters-in-law flew down from Maine, and it was fun catching up among palm trees, also with the parents and brothers of the bride!

Figgy, 28, and Punch, on the cusp of 17, at the wedding. 

Torrential rain in the botanic garden outside, so Punch put on a sweatshirt.

My sister-in-law Martha texted this, saying Figgy's look 

reminded her of  the Portrait of Madame X painting 

by John Singer Sargent, 1884. 

I checked out the Robert Is Here tropical fruit stand, colorful and fun. It was under "Things to Do" on the couple's Knot website. I got a fresh mango smoothie with Splenda and had them add raw kale. That was healthy but the green hue not nearly as nice as pure sunny mango would have been on a rainy Florida day. I drove 15 minutes to a Sprouts supermarket, which I hadn't been able to find at home.  They carry the California brand Sweet Laurel's baking mixes (healthy, no refined sugar, also vegan for Fig). They only had the scone mix, but I scooped it up and tucked the pretty pink box in my carry-on.

Punchy did some good things. Florida Orange and Figgy invited her to hang with them and sleep over one night, so she took the train from the Miami Airport to Boynton Beach, responsibly and safely. Dan got her on the train and FLO and Fig met her on the other end. She also went back and forth to the Travelodge pool, sporting her sunglasses and a nice black swimsuit I got her. 

That afternoon in South Beach was pricey, as New York City would be for out-of-towners who don't know the place well. But we had the most enormous slices of pizza I have ever seen, just positively giant. We watched volleyball games with the sea as a backdrop. Driving back to Homestead, Punch and I drifted off into peaceful late afternoon naps after breathing in that beach air. That was a gift.

FLO and Eric tie the knot. Sweet couple. 

They crushed on each other back when; Eric is a friend of FLO's older bro.

Figgy and FLO before.

Figgy and FLO day after wedding.

Dan and FLO.

************************************

I stopped blogging because I wanted to dig in more to writing for pay, and I have. I wanted to stop spending day after day focused on a teenager's life, fielding calls from the high school, swinging at a curve ball with a ping-pong paddle. My efforts seemed fruitless. I was and am a caring witness but no one is equipped to fully fix things, not the trained staffers at a huge public school, though they tried, and surely not Dan or me. Punchy's out-of-district school placement since last March has helped greatly. I have six hours without phone calls and worries, without requests to come get her. She is in a safer place. We also consider her over-one-year relationship with her supportive boyfriend (blog name Great Smile Deep Thinker) helpful.

Still, even with the uninterrupted time, it's a bit of a crawl to make meaningful money. Publications like Brain & Life (about living with neurological diagnoses, from Alzheimer's disease to Parkinson's) pay five times as much as my lifestyle writing--which is called content production now, for the website of the golden Seven Sisters* magazine I will always hold close to my heart. But after 100+ years, that magazine has cut back from 12 issues a year to six. It's sad. Advertisers want instant clicks and purchases. They can't wait around for glossy print ads to grab a reader's purse strings. Everything is #rightnow.

I'm happy to say I've enjoyed all of the assignments. New skills. Anyway, here are three of my most recent articles:

• 12 Best Laundry Detergents of 2024, According to Cleaning Pros Good Housekeeping website
• Young Romeo & Juliet, Neurodiverse Production Brain & Life website and print magazine (subscriptions are free, and bilingual)
• Behind The Design: 5 Creative Questions With Sarah Sherman Samuel aspire design and home website

I'm broadening my horizons and it's great to be working closely again with one of my GH colleagues. 

But a funny thing happened.....just as writing about fashion eventually pumped up my style wanting and spending, even writing about CLEANING PRODUCTS has affected my buying of those. 

It's always been the case, the whole point of lifestyle writing featuring products is to make people want to get stuff. Turns out this can also work with the writer. 

I've now purchased Diptyque (pronounced DIP-TEAK) made-in-Paris wood and leather polish; Dreft baby laundry detergent in the pink bottle (I had a $3 coupon and after all, wrote "The rest of the family will also like the beloved 'Baby Fresh' scent that Dreft delivers," which I have found to be true when I could finally nab a bottle at my store) and reconnected with Caldrea, a brand I met on a Hudson Valley weekend 10 years back but hadn't encountered since. I also bought Safely detergent in a pretty colored jug at Whole Foods on Madison Avenue one Saturday when I had the car in NYC. 

These four purchases racked up a lot of spending but I think it's productive spending, as in cleaning our old wood and making the laundry smell lovely if I can. As Moey's mother, Muriel, wisely told me when I was a newlywed, getting a cleaning product that smells good helps you do the chore.

Good night to you.

*Seven Sisters can refer to a climbing hybrid rose, a cluster of stars or the group of women's (or formerly women's) colleges in the eastern U.S. having high academic and social prestige. It includes Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar and Wellesley. 

For the magazine world, I like this Wikipedia definition:

The Seven Sisters is a group of magazines that has traditionally been aimed at married women who are homemakers with husbands and children, rather than single and working women.^[1] The name is derived from the Greek myth of the "seven sisters", also known as the Pleiades. A major force in 20th century American publishing, only three of the magazines are still published as physical magazines:

• Better Homes and Gardens (1922–)
• Family Circle (1932–2019)
• Good Housekeeping (1885–)
• Ladies' Home Journal (1883–2016)
• McCall's (1873–2002)
• Redbook (1903–2019)
• Woman's Day (1937–)

Check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sisters_(magazines) for more details.

A Second Chance for Furniture Factory Scraps

Above: Artist Kajsa Willner with furnishings she made from furniture factory remnants.

Photography by Robert Våhlström.

It was fun Zooming on Monday morning with this deep thinker and eco-conscious artist who colors outside the lines. 

This digital age allows lightning-fast publishing. I sent the story to my editor Thursday evening and two days later, it’s live. Today's lightning press can of course travel MUCH faster than that. But back in the day in the magazine world (1980s to early 2000s), we waited three months to see the print issue after putting it to bed! Such a long wait, but it felt worth it. We didn't know anything else yet.

It was an enlightening interview for me, as I try to consume fewer short-lived fashions and plastics and more local groceries (when budget allows).

LINK below.

https://aspiremetro.com/kajsa-willner-crafted-potential/

P.S. Note to my friend Kim. Because Kajsa is Swedish and thinks outside the box as an artist, she reminds me of your Maya.

Dysfunctional Families--and Fantasy Tablescapes

Photo courtesy of Joshua Reddekopp via Unsplash.

“A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it.” 

― Mary Karr, The Liars' Club 

Gosh, I love that quote. And whenever things get rough, and I remember to remember that quote, it brings comfort and perspective.

Because despite the 

*quiet beauty (glowing candles, a Parisian one from Sis and pure beeswax pinecones from Meggy in Vermont)

*lasting faith (Christmas Mass in the little country church, the tiny nativity scenes I’ve had since girlhood, which I squirreled up to Maine in my Christmas stocking) 

*joy (playing “Reindeer Games” and Yankee Swap with so much laughter and love)

*family (sharing meals, walks, memories)

and 

*light (Figgy doing my makeup on Christmas Day, a red lip, a shadowed eye)

the ugly head of dysfunction still rises. 

I won’t go into specifics in this public space, just....between a teenager in love and on FaceTime many hours of the day, even if the boy is very nice, many hours in the car and small Airbnb apartment, finally asking her to please maybe go in the bathroom with her phone for a while and close the door? and a beautiful young woman returns home from the Florida coast to a complicated past and present, then drives in a car with us 450 miles to our family in Maine...

It’s not just youth, laughter, vulnerability, humor, talent, brains, rap songs, love for us (spilling over, or reluctant), sarcasm and wrapped gifts these young women bring.....it’s some troubles, too. For both. So if for a moment I got lulled by Yuletide hymns at church and little girls in velvet dresses, bringing back memories of my Figgy in that same country church, it’s these realities that bring me back, in a jarring way. 

Life is beautiful, and life is hard.

On the soft side, two links to tablescape stories I enjoyed writing. Have a good day. May we all tread lightly and keep our eyes open.

1. Forest-Themed Tablescapes

2. Holiday Tablescapes.

Article Archive: 19 Tips to Save Money on Pet Care

Photo from SoFi.com.

SEO (search engine optimization) writing, with live links, offers a writer very little opportunity to be colorful. My latest example: 19 Tips to Save Money on Pet Care. Every word counts when the goal is that readers Googling for info land on your client’s site. 

However, in honor of our sweet Sugar, who crossed over the rainbow bridge at age 16.75 years on December 30, I did tuck in pink satin bows here. :) Miss you, Sugar Maureen. May there be Thanksgiving turkey over the rainbow. Always in our hearts, Baby Poodel (we spell it el) Hurley. 

Fluffer forever.

13. Grooming Your Pet at Home

Shampoos, blowouts, and pink satin bows at the groomer are pricey, and keeping a curly dog coat from matting and knotting requires frequent visits. 

Money Maven?

Above, photo on SoFi.com for “23 Tips on Saving Money Daily."

Greetings from the same woman who, for months, tracked her daily spending out of pocket at the bottom of each blog post. Remember that? Here’s a refresher from 2019. Even I forgot how tedious that was.

Is it ironic for someone who spent $8 on a whim for a mini Magnolia Bakery cheesecake or too much money on a turquoise cashmere sweater (on sale) to be writing financial articles now? Yes, and no. 

Just as I learned to leave pretty floral heirloom china around the house (because why hide that beauty in a cupboard?) when I interviewed Shabby Chic founder Rachel Ashwell, and when I gathered that Italian rainbow cookies are labor-intensive in the course of writing a Good Housekeeping Christmas cookie feature, I now polish my penny with consumer financial writing. I learn about budget tools and savings goals. I write about how much it costs to get a pet and where to resell your clothing. I have done this kind of writing on and off for years; being immersed in it now feels healthy. 

Also, my life has true challenges at this point. I like being able to tune out, even briefly, use my skills, earn money, sit on the dark green sofa or at my parents’ old mahogany dining room table and WRITE, in between meetings, phone calls and appointments, in between bouts of worry, concern and fear.

Here are some new article links. Have a good day.  

Yours truly, 

Smarter Shopper

1. 23 Tips on Saving Money Daily 
2. Guide to Financially Downsizing Your Life and Saving Money 
3. 23 Easy Ideas to Pay It Forward 
4. Does Couponing Save You Money? 

When Wedding Bells Stop: A Tough Topic to Face

I once applied for a writer position at Bride’s Magazine at Condé Nast on Madison Avenue. In the copy test, fed on white paper through my IBM Selectric electric typewriter--after hours at my women’s magazine job--I used words like frothy lace, magical, fairy tale and princess.

I was young and bridal magazines sell dreams, after all.

It was fun to write like that. I came close, but ultimately didn’t get the offer. I cried. But my dream career continued.

For SoFi.com, assignments come my way, on topics from safe deposit boxes to pet care savings. This one was an awakening, and a little hard to dig into. We all have friends, family and acquaintances who are divorced. Life informs one’s writing, so that helped. I thought of the women and men I know, the ones I’m close to, the struggles they faced.

Enjoy your day. I’m at my dining room table writing. Nina, our cat, runs by to visit or crawls into an empty grocery tote to rest nearby.

Here is the divorce budget article link: 

Budgeting Tips for Life After Divorce

(Image from SoFi.com.)

Writing about Christmas Clubs (to Build up Snow Sugar Funds)

I immersed myself in Christmas Club savings accounts for SoFi*, one of my new clients. It’s a strong resource--a modern, flourishing fintech (personal financial technology) platform. An online bank. Read about its interesting history here. 

Over decades of lifestyle and financial writing, in terms of rugged, rigorous fact sourcing, SoFi stands tall--on strapping shoulders--above my consumer pieces for Good Housekeeping Magazine (holiday deals, cutting car costs), ReadersDigest.com (clickable guides to best teen Christmas gifts) and CoastalLiving.com (savings tips for sea-bound travelers). Those latter three brands are thorough and true to their claims, but this money reporting requires me, as the writer, to very carefully document where I found every fact (if it’s not common knowledge).

I’m always careful, but this is super careful. This is a bank, with banking rules and regulations. I like my two editors a lot. Yet even for a seasoned writer (and for a while I did some Citibank writing), this has been a learning curve.

I’m grateful that the work is portable and remote. I can fit it in from my comfy, stuffed living room chair, a hotel business center at the Shore or the Port Authority Bus Terminal--and at any hour, so long as my Rose Gold MacBook is charged. The internet practically never, ever takes a coffee break or goes to sleep. With the stress level at home of late, this flexibility is key. I can do many SoFi assignments per month if I accept many assignments per month.

You may know the name: SoFi Stadium is home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. I have also seen many TV commercials for SoFi.

My article link below. I enjoyed charting the history of Christmas Clubs. Dan had one as a boy in Teaneck, NJ and I had at least one as a young magazine staffer in NYC (maybe Seventeen Magazine?). But it got to where I had to take out the money before Christmastime to cover other expenses, such as a carburetor. Now I am more learned and becoming more careful. I’m on a road in that direction, anyway.

https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/what-is-a-christmas-club-account/

Speaking of white Christmases and evergreen trees, greetings from Vermont in June. I took the Amtrak "Vermonter" up here to my friends’ home in Stowe for peace and perspective, with Dan’s encouragement.

*Based in San Francisco, SoFI was sparked in 2011 by four graduate students at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. (I want to say by four male grad students, since their names appear to be traditionally assigned to men.)

Little Mistakes Were Made 🧽 🧽 + My Cold Brew Coffee Article 💧💧💧

🧽🧽  That’s why sponges and erasers were invented...you get a clean slate in life again and again.

1. I braved DMV for driver’s license and registration renewals without eating a proper lunch or bringing a big cup of caffeine on ice. 
2. I took the wrong route, ignoring wise Google Maps, and added a 13-minute backup on Route 46 West to my drive.
3. I hit ShopRite (to get cranberry juice for Skipper) on a still hungry stomach. Not a good idea. Not when Cheez-Its, in their pick me! love me! red boxes, were lined up for sale on an end cap display not far from the milk case. Oddly enough, I was also drawn to the steamed, shelled mussels I reeled in at the seafood department. At least that was protein.
4. I didn’t let last winter’s amaryllis bulb sleep/go dormant the right way--it was all crumbled, crackly and, well, hollow--there was no there there. But my friend Denise is a gardener and I’m going to ask for advice with this year’s bulb, because it just gave me four beautiful red and white candy-cane blooms.

Not a mistake: Link to my latest Reader’s Digest website article, about cold brew coffee:

https://www.rd.com/article/what-is-cold-brew-coffee/

Until tomorrow.

*Pink eraser link here.

Up, Up and Away to a Pillow in the Sky

Story I wrote for the winter issue of aspire design and home magazine. Aspirational, inspirational destination.

https://aspiremetro.com/lodge-les-murailles/

Photography by Patrick Sordoillet. Styling by Stephanie Boiteux-Gallard. Interior Design by Sylvie Crochet. Architecture by Agence D’Architecture Buchart.

Cape Cod Wish List--and My Teen Stocking Stuffers Story

No school tomorrow and Friday--the annual early November four-day weekend in Jersey for the teachers’ convention.

Ever since Figgy was little, I’ve loved stealing away to Cape Cod on this weekend for one last deep breath of ocean air, bird watching, wind, iced coffee, windmills and more before winter sets in. I liked taking the girl out of Montclair, out of normal life, out of suburbia and onto that beautiful Cape. Connecting with her on a deeper level, in nature. I hoped that the magical old place would fill her soul, and I tried to do it as often as was practical, whether Dan could join us or not. (This weekend, he has to work at two parties in NYC; #60SecondNovelist. The post-Covid party circuit is heating up.)

I think Cape Cod was a great gift to Figgy. I often recall the time Dan and I were walking near Great Island in Wellfleet with Fig, in her blue flowered fleece coat, and we saw a ravaged dead seal. She stood and stood, studying it on the way onto and off that sandy path. I turn this memory over carefully and with love, like a seashell I brought back from her childhood.

I pray for the Cape Cod gift for Skippy, too. She kicks up her heels about not wanting to walk at the Wellfleet Wildlife Sanctuary, but I usually win. Toads, turtles, egrets, fiddler crabs and more, depending on the season. But above all, quiet. Unplugged from our devices, if only for an hour.

This time, my Douglass College roommate and dear friend, Meg, and her husband, Greg, are driving from Stowe, Vermont to the Cape, too! (Their close Stowe friend, the pastor at their church, was reassigned to the Cape a few years ago and Meg and Greg will stay with him and his wife Friday and Saturday.) I can’t wait. Meg found the Dan’l Webster Inn, historic lodging in Sandwich. Rates are much lower off-season and the Harvest the Savings Package includes 20 percent off Sunday through Thursday nights, plus food and spa product vouchers. I’m also trying to get a writing assignment. We’ll see, to quote my Brooklyn friends Kim and F. 

Did I say I can’t wait?

It’s not just the destination, but also the journey, of course. The leaving behind thick traffic on Route 95 North; passing through Providence, Rhode Island; navigating the narrower Route 6 East. 

Here is what I hope to do. (I know Skippy can’t wait to spend time with her long-time pal, M., so some of this I will do alone when Meg and Greg break away.)

• Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary to walk on those silent pine needle-paved paths at least twice.
• Hot Chocolate Sparrow for iced coffee twice.
• Mac’s Seafood Market in Eastham at least once to browse the grocery edit and maybe get steamed lobster and melted butter? (Avoiding white flour whenever possible, so skip the lobster roll.)
• Sandwich! Dan and I have been around there before, taking Figgy and our friends to see the super cool herring run over spring breaks. But I have not explored the whole village and it should be great! Meg speaks of an inlet and lighthouse. I read about a tea store/tea shop. Browsing is always fun.
• Eastham Superette, for old time’s sake; I remember it since age 4 I think.
• Reading, self-pampering, possibly a modest spa treatment like pedicure if possible.
• I also plan to attend an OA meeting every day on Zoom, from Thursday morning before departure through Sunday morning.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On another topic, here is my Teen Stocking Stuffers Story. Skippy wants that Harry Potter Snitch Hot Chocolate Bomb, a last-minute edition to my list, and I plan to order soon...

https://www.rd.com/list/stocking-stuffers-for-teens/

Good Night to You and Reader’s Digest Holiday Gift List for Teens

Hi...this is not the stocking stuffer story, but the regular holiday gifts for teens list. In the vernacular of content writing these days, this is known as a "listicle," with live shopping links.

Above: Converse Canvas Platform Chuck Taylor All Star Sneakers

https://www.rd.com/list/gifts-for-teens/

I’m grateful to Skipper for helping me with ideas and testing out products. She really wants the pocket projector (you can watch Netflix on your bedroom wall, I gather). She already owns the Shein snuggly two-piece lounge set, but not in aqua, and only with shorts, not long PJ pants. It is really cute in person and very affordable, so I knew that would be good.

Kim, who does careful, perfect pedis at the beauty salon, is the mother of two boys and I was getting a pedi in the midst of this research. She gave me so many good ideas. She has nieces, and so she knew the Converse platform sneakers were a big want. She knew from her son about the Adidas sneakers and Domino's gift cards.

Dan even helped me in the 11th hour, when I was getting the revised article back in with last-minute additions and replacements to arrive at 55 gifts with reputable reviews. I was getting desperate. Do teens like chocolate-covered strawberries? I asked him. Would they want a fruit delivery at the door? Wouldn’t they?

He looked up from the NY Times crossword puzzle on his phone.

No, he said. 

That’s when I popped in the layered brownie jars with sprinkles instead...better fit.

Good night.

Notes from a Coffee Nut

Above: I wrote about cold brew coffee makers for the Reader’s Digest website.

As I’ve noted here before, as I put down the sweet treats, I’ve been picking up more and more coffee. I happened to have an excellent decaf cappuccino this afternoon at Da Pepo in Montclair. Never mind that my lunch companion was a moody teen in a flannel shirt and black jeans--the coffee was a great cap on our lunch.

A good cold brew is a gift from the heavens. (TBT, a lot of the appeal for me is stirring in a good amount of fresh whole milk, like from the little jug* I bought today at Whole Foods. I went with Skipper to get a back-to-school water bottle--she chose sleek black--and snacks, including seaweed packs, chocolate quinoa, applesauce squeeze packets and fruit-filled cereal bars.)

*Jolly quart jug, "gently pasteurized." Dan told me to stop getting raw, unpasteurized milk (the kind I was loving in Maine) because it might not be safe. IDK. Check https://www.familyfarmsteaddairy.com.

Anyway, here is the cold brew story link:

https://www.rd.com/list/cold-brew-coffee-makers/

Soon time to go to bed, alarm set, dreaming of tomorrow morning’s brew.

Good night.

Writing Muscles & 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

Above: I’ve written about a lot of beautiful homes, but this Brooklyn space really impressed me. I would love an organized mudroom like this, with pistachio, custom-built cabinetry and a rolling library ladder to reach the skis and suitcases--and the life to go with it. Wow! Design by Jenny Dina Kirshner. Photography by Ryan Dausch. Article link below.

I’m using my writing muscles a lot--is plural right?

I can’t say I’m flexing them, because that would connote a muscle man (or woman) holding up a bulging arm to show off their strength, am I right?

No, I’m not pumping iron and boasting to impress you or anyone else. I’m more building up my writing muscles to get in faster, more honed sentence-structuring and storytelling shape to better use my tools.

I have an assignment from ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME Magazine for the summer issue. Another place in Southwest France! I do hope to wing to a faraway place in the not too distant future.....

Magazines are a dying breed, and it’s sad. I’m grateful for this work.

Here is a link to my latest feature in the Spring 2021 issue:

https://aspiremetro.com/jenny-dina-kirschner-brooklyn-duplexes/

I’m also trying to place some essays and story pitches, to earn more dough. 

And I’ve joined a weekly Journaling Night, a spinoff of the Montclair Healing Huddle I attended for mothers/caregivers. I like the Wednesday night group (8 to 9:30 p.m. on Zoom). It goes on for five weeks, and involves getting in touch with our feelings, and the way we perceive them, through writing prompts. Tara, a therapist, skillfully leads us.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, lassies, lads and others. I’m remembering my parents on this day. They listened to Irish music (lyrical but often mournful, about the potato famine etc.) and cooked corned beef, cabbage and potatoes in an old, tall silver-tone pot. I miss them both, and their legacies (she, Irish; he, Italian). Good night.

13 Things That Will Be Cheaper in 2021

https://www.rd.com/list/things-that-will-be-cheaper-this-year/

I wrote this article for RD.com (Reader’s Digest) and am happy to get a new client. I like shorter pieces because I can research and write them in between Punch’s school classes and appointments etc. (However, this one did take a lot of hunting for stats and sources.)

I’ve had a long career reading, writing, finding sources and building contacts, so I enjoyed the chance to ferret out this information.

Even right before Christmas, during Christmas week....thanks to remote offices, email and our constant virtual connections, many of these article sources (the experts) were forthcoming and prompt with information.

Each piece pays moderately, but I hope to get more.

Thanks for being there, reading my blog.

 

Instacart: Hi, Milkmaid, I Hope You Enjoy My Mushrooms

https://alicegarbarinihurley.medium.com/instacart-hi-milkmaid-i-hope-you-enjoy-my-mushrooms-13be583cd1a5

Good night.

My Latest Magazine Stories: French Chic, a Farmhouse---and Upcycling Timeworn Men's Shirts

A SHIRT STORY 👕👕🧵

NEW LOOK FOR OLD FARMHOUSE KITCHEN 🥚🥚🐐🐐

ANCIENT MARINER'S HOME NOW A BORDEAUX APARTMENT 🚢 🌊

PARISIAN SHOP WITH BLUE DOORS 🦓 🦓

My Essay Published on The Plum

I love this photo that The Plum team selected.

I'm happy and proud that my essay--"I Had a Baby After 40--and Now I'm in Homeschool Hell" was published in this time of tragedy and fear. I think it might bring a smile to some faces....the most frequent comment I've heard is that it's honest.

I'm grateful for my wise and insightful editor. You can't take that for granted.

I am happy to be honest. I hope I have not revealed too much of Punchy's life story. I tried to be careful, and I noted to my editor that I was watchful not to call Punch our daughter. [Because we are her legal guardians; her birth mom retained parental rights.] Punch is always adamant about that.

My all-time favorite writers are the ones who transport me to where they are. I hope I did that, too. I tried.

Truman Capote--"A Christmas Memory" puts me right in the kitchen where pecans will be shelled and fruitcakes will be baked. Can't you smell the scent of spices and fruit? See the Christmas tree dragged home from the woods by a young boy and his elderly cousin?

Joan Didion. I once wrote her a letter, complimenting her for, among other things, her detail-rich writing. I think I said of one of her stories: "It's not just ice cream at your daughter's birthday party, but chocolate-marshmallow ice cream." She even wrote me back. I remain very grateful.

The short story "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen, copyright 1961. I was transported right from the title. I read it in college and must read it again. On my list.

Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar. Instant flight to NYC magazine world.

I have measured out my life with coffee spoons 
Do you remember that line from the poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot - 1888-1965? I think of it often, especially in this time of endless cups of coffee.

I hope all is well. #holdfast #hangtough

TCOY

1. Made banana pancakes w four ingredients--rice flour, bananas, baking powder and eggs--and pinch of sea salt. Punch liked them, and she can be finicky.
2. Private Benjamin appt. Yes, one hour therapy at 1 pm on the phone, sitting in my car.  The weather went from rumbling thunder to rain to sunshine. I was parked back by the garage, near our Bleeding Hearts flowering plant. I also talked to Sis for a while and to two Mainers--my mother-in-law, who is 90, and my sister-in-law Martha, who is teaching eighth grade from home. I asked her for tips on homeschooling Punchy because it's hard to be back after last week/spring break. I left messages for Moey, Anne and my brother Will. When I walked into the house I said to Dan, "That was the best two and a half hours I've had in the last five weeks." We laughed.
3. Hope to take lavender bath soon. It is already 7:19 pm.
4. Watched 2 episodes of "The Closer." Love it.

$ UPDATE, MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Up til 3 am Thursday morning [rough day w. P and too much coffee?] Ordering from Amazon in dark of night, two great books, one bottle coffee extract for my Café au Lait Pots de Crème, total $33.63.
• STITCH clothing boutique, must help keep them and myself afloat in these rough times, cute blouse, $78.
• Cash donation to raise money for face shields for front-line workers, $48.
• SLA Thai dinner, I sent Figgy to get curbside pickup for 4, $93 + $15 tip, so $108--that was our big spring break treat. Figgy got vegan pad Thai with tofu, no eggs.
• Kings, large pot of strawberry-ice-cream-pink hyacinths to later plant in garden for next year's bloom, $4.20.
• Season 2, many episodes of "The Closer," $29.99.
• CVS, ordered free 2-day rx delivery, added 4 Clif bars, toothpaste, 2-pack Glide dental floss, can of whole cashews, bottle of Caltrate pills, 4 cans Bumblebee solid white tuna in water, about $54.

Total from Wed. April 15 thru Tues. April 21: $355.82.

Ongoing monthly spend as of April 21: $1,715.56.

Avg daily spend: $81.69.

Compare to previous months:

March--the effect of coronavirus quarantine and not working in NYC for now

Total monthly spend as of March 31: $1,916.15.

Avg daily spend: $61.81.

February

Total monthly spend as of Feb. 29: $2,480.34.
Avg daily spend: $85.53.

January

Total monthly spend as of Jan 31: $3,063.60.

Avg daily spend: $98.83.

December 2019 [Christmas and all that entails]

Total monthly spend as of Dec. 31: $3,998.16. 

Avg daily spend: $128.97. 

November

Total spend for November (30 days): $2,979.03. 

Average daily spend: $99.30. 

October

Total spend for OCTOBER 31 days: $2,495.36.

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $80.49.

September

TOTAL SPEND FOR SEPTEMBER (30 DAYS): $2,214.43.

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $73.81.

August

TOTAL SPEND FOR AUGUST (31 DAYS/PLUS VACAY IN HERE): $2,895.06. ⬆️

AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39.  ⬆️

Article Archive: Writing about People in Need, People in Pain

I worked as a writer in the offices of Catholic Charities on First Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets from October 21 until December 20 and then about once a week after that, writing articles for the website through January and into February.

I am thankful for my smart and funny co-workers. Thankful, after a career writing primarily about "lifestyle" topics, from stylish sofas to decadent brownies--with some very notable exceptions--to tackle heavier subjects, including homelessness and the need to replenish food pantries.

I loved working in my New York City again...not just the glittery city, but the hardworking city, alongside the friendly New Yorkers who serve coffee and rolls from corner carts and the ones in French uniforms with neckerchiefs who sell brightly colored macarons in a chic cafe.

I loved being among them, one and all. I liked riding the E train from the Port Authority to 53rd Street and Lexington Avenue.--noticing eye shadow colors women wore, subway ads for mattresses and for men's underwear. The fun faux fur coats, boots and totes people sported. The tourists and lovers. My guessing game--telling in a blink who was wealthy and who was not.

I liked riding the bus to and from Montclair. I liked pushing the elevator button to my floor at work. I was tired at night, but I went to bed early and got up about 6:10 am.

After many years as a freelancer, I was part of a team in an office again. And it reminded me that I thrive as part of a team, and still want that.

I liked belonging. Being professional and supportive. Working together on a raft of 5 smart people in a sea of words, to end up with the best possible product.

I hoped to join the team permanently. The work was meaningful. The organization's reach is remarkable, from helping feed the hungry to supporting immigrants. It seemed I was going to be hired--that was alluded to many times--but then, after a 6-month budget review, I was told that the writer position would be restructured and would not be filled at that time.

I was sad and I mourned this loss, like the huge blow it was. My heart sunk straight down to my Tory Burch wedges.

I am still grateful, of course, to our friend Celia, who heard about the need for a writer and told me right away. I earned money to pay for our family health insurance, heating oil, mortgage, phone bill, groceries and many other necessities. I earned money for Punch to join Dan on his work trip to San Francisco. I bought a knee-length winter coat after many years of jackets.

I also found some style wins in our Sutton Place neighborhood, brands I didn't know. Clean Market, where I got my trendy Keep Cup and met Goop products up close. I discovered the pretty pink Sweet Laurel cookbook there, and even the California bake shop's chocolate cake mix and special take on vanilla extract [made with tequila]. I found delicious New York pizza on First Avenue--perfect Mama's red sauce, melty cheese. I got to know some shops in Grand Central Terminal--Vineyard Vines, the food market, Warby Parker. And I passed the A La Mode Ice Cream Shoppe, with its adorable pink and white striped awnings, twice a day. That's the nut-free ice cream brand that Little Daisy Bake Shop stocks in Montclair!

I got to know others at work, not just on my team but in other departments, too. Almost to a person, they were kind and cheerful. Smart. Talented. I loved working with the two twenty-something people on our marketing team. I liked the clergy members in our midst, too.

I liked pitching ideas. I'm good at pitching ideas. I'm good at my craft of writing and editing, and getting along with people, putting them at ease, connecting with them.

I have empathy, important when talking to people in need, and writing their stories.

From October to December, I wrote pitches for The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund campaign, an annual and venerable effort that helps many New Yorkers. It runs in the newspaper and online from November into January. I worked on a team, primarily with my manager, researching and writing/rewriting pitches that we submitted to the NY Times team. They were getting pitches from several charitable organizations, so our goal was to send in compelling stories.--and get help for clients of Catholic Charities.

To be honest, by the time I left, the office-atmosphere tide had changed.

As I move on and trust that another door will open, I want to put links to some of my Catholic Charities writing here. I am also moving on to my essay assignment for another client.

NY TIMES NEEDIEST CASES FUND [We wrote the story pitches; NY Times reporters followed up with the clients and wrote the published articles.]
https://catholiccharitiesny.org/news/taekwondo-gave-2-children-outlet-it-gave-their-mother-break

ARTICLE IN NY TIMES ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
https://catholiccharitiesny.org/news/new-york-times-neediest-cases-reporters-help-raise-millions

FOSTER PARENTING
https://catholiccharitiesny.org/news/help-wanted-open-your-heart-and-your-home-fostering

ANNUAL HOMELESS COUNT
https://catholiccharitiesny.org/news/catholic-charities-new-york-hosts-hope-count-panel-discussion

EMBRACING BLACK CATHOLICS
https://catholiccharitiesny.org/news/embracing-black-catholics-changing-diverse-community

Must move on to essay. Thank you for being there.

You Can Judge a Mag By Its Cover

Isn’t that a beautiful cover on the autumn issue of ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME? And that is the "Dinner Guest" interview and RSVP, something I do for every issue--this one with a visionary who started at Sotheby’s in NYC and now opened an art gallery in Detroit. It’s a city on the rise in many creative ways, from art to interior design.

ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME is bucking the magazine decline--for years, it was distributed regionally to upscale destinations [in NY, NJ, CT] and it recently went national. Look for it on newsstands. I even found it in a sprawling suburban ShopRite with a big magazine section. Or you can subscribe to the quarterly at aspiremetro.com.

Until tomorrow.

TCOY

1. Biked in and out of town, wearing a new sweater. This brisk fall weather is ideal for biking.
2. Worked at my spot, Joyist, from about 9 a.m. to hard stop at 3 p.m., when I had to bike back, get car and drive back across town to pick up Punch. I worked productively and #3 helped fuel me.
3. I had The Anthony, a soothing, filling hot blend of Java Love Coffee, steamed house-made almond milk, coconut milk, local honey and Reishi mushrooms and then--on my 10th punch on the rewards card--a free warm, organic greens & grains bowl, the Asian-style one, w kale, brown rice, red quinoa, edamame, hard-boiled egg and a fabulous sesame-ginger dressing and chili garlic sauce. Yum.*
4. For dinner, I craved a nice big triangle of NYC pizza, the kind you can flop and fold, but had homemade chicken soup packed w vegs--and some buttered Ezekiel toast.

*The menu is so good, I’m listing the link again so you can see it: Joyistnation.com.

Postscript on Friday morning: I texted Dan in NYC yesterday afternoon and said I was craving a big triangle of pizza. I also left him a voice mail. When he got home, he drove out to get groceries and a single plain slice for me. That was kind. It was delicious, and much better than eating half a pie on a Friday night, right? But...I was so tired after rising early to bike to school with Punch and then work in town all day....I was a couch potato, watching "Andy Griffith" and "Gomer Pyle" on ME TV from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., while Punch watched her favorite, "Supergirl,"on Netflix on my laptop in our bedroom......anyway, I devoured the slice but then got cranky and lost my patience....so maybe a pizza slice carb load at 9 p.m. is not such a good idea for me. Or maybe I was just exhausted. But that carb spike did not help shepherd a fifth grader to bed when she didn't want to part with her superhero.

Article Archive: This IS Brain Surgery

Kaliman, "El Hombre Increible," influenced a young boy
who had little money but big dreams.
Image from HERE.

I realized that I blogged about my hard work on this Neurology Now Magazine article--I was revising it when we were leaving Maine after Christmas, in the cold and snow--but didn't post the link here.

Meet Dr. Q, who went from migrant farm worker to high-profile brain surgeon. He has a great heart; I could tell from talking to him.

Here is the article LINK.

While working on it, I remembered some supersmart editors in my women's magazine career who would say This isn't brain surgery! if you had to revise a piece....but this really was about that topic. Kind of cool.

The magazine is renamed Brain & Life and I'm enjoying my two assignments for the late autumn issue now. Subscriptions are free.

Enjoy your day, or at least survive this beastly heat.

Signing off from Joyist, with nice A.C. and a Dina bowl by my side. Trying to keep Punchy busy here, too.