I told my doctor this is not so bad. She laughed. A year later, I understood why. When I turned fifty, my doctor suggested I go off birth control. I said no. I said no because I did not feel like I was in perimenopause. I had had some mild symptoms over the years, a…
Double digit summer arrives early, three-day-old baby birds in the porch wreath, and a beach read worth packing for every summer trip ahead Happy summer, friends. I hope you had a lovely weekend celebrating your father. My dad does not live close but we had a lovely phone call as we do every Sunday, and…
For the woman who has spent her whole life making everyone else feel like a guest. Many years ago, after I had moved away from home, I flew back to visit my mother. I waited at the airport longer than I should have. She had forgotten what time I was arriving. When I finally called,…
It rained, the baby birds hatched, a young man is losing his father too soon, and the summer meanderings are full of châteaux, courage and conviction Happy summer, friends, and happy almost Father’s Day to the dads, the granddads, the uncles, and every man who has ever shown up for somebody else’s kid and meant…
Three savory recipes for the grill and garden, three books for the nightstand, and ten things from the internet worth your time. It’s Friday and I could not be happier. I am exhausted. I love having guests, especially my mom, but truth be told, in my daily life I am not “running” from morning till…
New research says the curiosity that matters most grows with age. Here is why midlife is exactly the right time to follow it. I once seriously considered becoming an Egyptologist. Graduate-level seriously. Like half the country, I became fascinated when the Treasures of Tutankhamun toured the States in the late 1970s. I never saw the…
A 99-degree Friday, a graduation that restored my hope, and a book about a woman who got out of the car and walked away. How was your weekend? Were you glued to the World Cup games or the Knicks? If you are a Knicks fan, congratulations. After 53 years they finally have another trophy. Fifty-three…
My mom is here, the wrens have four blue eggs, my nephew is graduating this morning and I found a potter in Hawaii who made me rethink everything I believe about ambition I am smiling from ear to ear, first because I have my mom here. No matter how old you are you are never…
Three summer recipes, three beach reads, and everything worth knowing this week It is Friday and I am not going to pretend I have not been counting the days. We got home last week and I hit the ground running, as they say, though I am not sure anyone who says that has ever actually…
There is a difference between a morning ritual and a morning habit. Here are the seven habits that support your body and mind specifically after 50, and why they work differently now. I have written about my morning ritual (the drinking chocolate, the birds at the feeder, the gratitude journal open on the kitchen table…
Treating summer like a kid again, a nephew graduating, family coming to town and a memoir about a woman who rebuilt everything from nothing First, thank you. The response to yesterday’s post, Is There a Manual, genuinely moved me. It is good to know I am not alone in my confusion about midlife and the…
I was a girl who actually got the information. And it still was not enough. Because nobody ever continued the conversation. I have been thinking about a manual. Not a medical textbook. Not a wellness program. A manual. The kind that comes in the box when you buy something complicated, written by someone who actually…
