A few of my favorite things…
Sewing …and embroidery: Just call me Martha (or Heloise—more on that, later). Cook, clean, sew—nerdy, but true. Vintage notions mixed with a creative process. See a thread? Focus and satisfaction.
The Beach: Close your eyes—can you hear the seagulls overhead, the surf on a choppy day, the gentle waves as they touch the end of their course and fall flat, smell the salty air, and feel your toes in the sand? That’s my happy place.
Cookbooks: Anything with Julia Child is on my shelves. Sure, you can pull up recipes on the internet (guilty), but nothing beats a real book. The smell of the pages, splatterings of food on the tried & true ones, post-its of ones to try. At 450+, I’m a little obsessive. (photo cred Noe DeWitt for MSL)
Vintage Silver: I once answered a “whatcha up to?” phone call with, “polishing silver.” Sounded a bit snotty, but we’re not talking Dolores Claiborne here; I just love the look and feel of beautiful old silver, wondering whose initials are etched on it, and what might have been served with it in years gone by.
Gardening: My Dad grew the most drool-inducing tomatoes alongside so many other fruits and vegetables. Miss you lots. Thank you for passing along that green-thumb gene to me!
Yoga: After wrecking my knees with acrobats, I still love the focus, musculature and restorative oneness of its next-best-thing—yoga. Someday I'll master it. Ommm.
Setting a Pretty Table: Lining up the dainty pink rosebuds on Mom’s china service, ironing the linens, and always lighting candles… it’s the creative process, like graphically designing a page.
Norman Mailer: That man can weave a whole long paragraph from one non-run-on sentence into a crystal-clear, provocative visual (like I just tried to). Tough Guys Don’t Dance–oh, yeah.
Pie: Ever see "Waitress"? For so many reasons, I could play Kerri Russell with one hand tied behind my back. Strawberry rhubarb, apple cranberry, peach (oh, my), lattice tops, yummm. “Gonna bake a pie…”
Peter OLIVER and Christopher ELLIOTT: My reasons for living and my most blessed creations. “Sons are the anchors of a mother’s heart.” (Socrates) 💗