Suprise Me

I rushed home and sprayed myself with Shalimar. It wasn’t a strong scent, but I could smell my mother’s perfume. Read More

Turning Left in London I’ve written about our magical year in the early 1970s when my husband Danny worked in his company’s London office.  (See Laundry Day in London, Valentine’s Day in Foggytown, Kinky Boots and Intro to Cookery) Here’s another story. Before we left for our London sojourn we went to the DMV,  presented our New York drivers licenses,… Read More

My very first car was a 1953 Chevy Truck we named Wilbur. Not much to say other than that right now, but it was a cool car to have in high school! Read More

When I was younger I was a wish factory.  One thing I wished for, this time of year was that I could decorate a Christmas tree.  My mom said “You are Jewish and Jewish people do not decorate Christmas Trees.”  Several years later one of my best friends invited me to a party to decorate… Read More

Book Slut,  or Why I’m in Six Book Clubs Most of my women friends are in a book club and some are even in two book clubs.  I’m in six.  I know that sounds a bit crazy,  but it really wasn’t my fault.  Here’s what happened. As a kid I loved to read,  in high… Read More

My dad co-owned a car dealership during the early years of my life. He worked six days and two nights a week, so wasn’t home to eat dinner with the family a few nights a week. My mother had a housekeeper who cooked meals in those early years. Those women cycled through, staying a few… Read More

There is something liberating about a “date” when, from the outset, both know that there can be no future. Read More

There were three possible lunches on school days: regular lunchbox lunch; rainy day lunch; and lunch at home. On regular days, I opened my metal lunchbox (blue lid and bottom, silver-gray between) to find a sandwich neatly wrapped in waxed paper, made with stiff, dense, brown whole wheat bread. It might be peanut butter, or… Read More

I hadn’t realized how closely Patti and John had listened when I’d described my experience at the Chilmark Writer’s Workshop on Martha’s Vineyard, a wonderful, supportive writing workshop given by Nancy Slonim Aronie, an island legend (and beyond; she teaches at Kripalu, is featured on “All Things Considered”, and just published her third book). I… Read More

Namekagon river, Wisconsin What could be more glorious than a weekend on the Namakagon River in Wisconsin? A group of female nurses, myself, my 12-year-old daughter and her friend, Emily,  drove under a bright sky across rich agricultural land through the St. Croix river’s national forest finally stopping at a roadside rest over the river.… Read More