On the edge of my NYC terrace there’s about a foot-wide stretch of gravel with maybe 1/4 of an inch of soil mixed in with the rocks and pebbles. I think it’s for drainage (although maybe it’s just aesthetically pleasing). I’ve long had an admiration for the weeds that simply sprout ...

For some unknown reason, I kept putting down Neil Gaiman’s OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE after 10 pages. And then I brought it with me on a flight to San Francisco and couldn’t put it down. It’s AMAZING. As the New York Times said, “His mind is a dark fathomless ocean, and every time...

My great friend @sezinc brought me back this gorgeous mala ‬ from Turkey. I noticed it has the traditional 108 beads and then an extra 30 (which is very rare.) Extensive research (read HERE) reveals that those are for either “acquisition of wealth” or “dexterity in black magic.” Hon...

My Dad died this October 2nd. When they asked me to do the eulogy…well, I just couldn’t. (My brother did a fine job). Only after the funeral did I realize what I might have said. Growing up in the 1930s, like many Catholics, my Dad was a member of The Legion of Decency (1933-1980), an organizat...

Getting ready for Belle’s Birthday party this Sunday is a full-time job. Just finished preparing the food for the “secret” After Party. And do we think 45 helium balloons are enough? (I just don’t want to leave her scarred her from a tragic lack of attention.)

My Dad died on Friday night, Oct. 2nd. Thanks for all the kind thoughts being sent my way, especially for my Mom.  

Technically, Chef Huascar Aquino won the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, the first New Yorker to do so.  (The episode is here). But I feel like I won the Cupcake War personally, after last night. After a grueling week I thought I deserved a cupcake from his H Bake Shop around the corner from my apartmen...

Letting go of “What I Think I know” may be the trickiest kind of letting go…but also the most value. Practicing this especially intently as I’m in the Homestretch on the new book proposal, wondering what new doors will soon open.