This time I was (almost) prepared. In recent postings, I’ve shared how often the handmade bag from my 90 year-old aunt gets compliments at Trader Joe’s. Last week, when both the clerk and the bagger admired it as I checked out, not only did I tell them its origins, but also that I was ...

Part of me wants to roll my eyes… at myself. Whenever anyone mentions Mercury going retrograde (as it did at the end of this week), I nod my head but secretly wince inside. It seems a little too convenient to blame every technical and communication snafu on a celestial phenomenon ...

I’m not gonna lie. The first few times it happened, my feelings were (ever so slightly) hurt. But when the phenomenon extended to an entirely different element, moving from earth to water, experience had taught me to interpret it not as a personal rejection but as a Triumph of Generosity. (No...

Although it was allegedly my birthday, there’s no question that Vlad would declare himself the winner of the Greatest Gift Recipient Contest. Although he’d grown up from puppyhood with one or two weekly hangouts with my BFF Cha Cha, a full season has passed since they’d seen each other. It’...

It was absolutely one of my all-time strangest encounters — but to fully appreciate it, a few mechanical elements must be understood first. I’ve shared before that my new gym has a three lane swimming pool, one that requires reserving a 30-minute slot via the app. There’s also a whirlpool a...

There are a few plot twists ahead — which is fitting, since puzzles often seem impossible. As this month’s theme is “Out of the Box”—Meditation HERE—I’ve been researching the origin of that phrase. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, ...

It’s not like I’d ever forget the moment and yet, I’m not sure why, but only midway through writing this did it actually come back to my awareness. Namely, to quote another legendary Broadway show, the fact that I was “in the room where it happened.” I’ll reveal all, but first I have to set the stage...

It was certainly not my intention. I sincerely hope I’m NOT contributing to the problem. I wasn’t aware of just how bad a reputation it has. As an archetype, it definitely needs a new press agent. You see, when I chose  “Out of the Box,” as the theme of the June’s new m...

At first, it felt like both a personal triumph and a magical gift from the universe. Suddenly, it became an almost soul-crushing experience. The part that I thought would be most challenging, turned out to be effortless. The task I thought would be straightforward, became a Sisyphean task, on...