FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) (WHO ELSE?)

It's hard to feel positive the morning of a school shooting.  (It's hard to feel positive in the age of corruption and lies -- which is why I started this blog.)  Eight casualties so far at Santa Fe High School, in Santa Fe, Texas.    Makes my appreciation of cottage cheese and grosgrain ribbons seem massively feeble-minded.   

I'm trying to be a cheerleader and a distracter.  I know I'm addressing a small group here, but I'm also trying to rouse you all to find the --  [joy is too strong a word] -- pleasure in a simple way.  And I urge you to try to find five things that made improved your week somewhat.  Alright?  If you have your 5 (or 4 or 3 or even just 1) please share them with the rest of us!

Mary Richards, always a cheerleader

1.  I'm going to a good friend's birthday lunch today.  How fortunate am I?  Also, this is a new friend, and how lucky am I to have a found a new friend at this stage?   (Also, I like lunch out because  if I'm writing  at home or pretending to write at home, or not writing at home, I'm likely not to eat until dinner.)  And now, being interested in sustainability, 'I'm going to merge this birthday lunch with  2.  Watch me.

2. When the time comes, I often have just the perfect birthday card on hand.  Sorry if it sounds like I'm boasting.  Some of my favorites come from unlikely sources:  the New Orleans Museum of Art, Madewell clothing stores, the Seattle Library shop, and a little housewares store in Hudson, New York, and a furniture store in Mill Valley, California.  

3.  The Royal Wedding.  You might not care.  I don't exactly care.  That's not even the right word.  What I'm trying to say is that the wedding happening tomorrow between Prince Harry of England and American actress Meghan Markle is a kind of flash of sunshine in these grim days.  Does the royalty matter?  Will it push any envelope whatsoever to see a commoner marry a royal?  As a HUGE FAN "The Crown" it is certainly fascinating to know that the same Elizabeth who squashed her sister's happiness when she forbade her from marrying a divorced man (even though he was a faithful insider at Buckingham Palace) has given her blessings to a divorced, mixed-race American woman who is older than her grandson.  But love is love is love, to paraphrase Lin Manuel Miranda (another big favorite of mine) and I will watch the wedding tomorrow with some friends if I'm up.

4.  I'll wake up.  Scones have been promised.   And my friend's apartment has many tvs so I can watch the HBO feed, with Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon.  (And so can you!)

Cord and Tish

5.  Robert Mueller, Robert Mueller, Robert Mueller, Robert Mueller.

Onwards and upwards!

Lisa xx

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) (WHO ELSE?)

WHAT A WEEK!

Will the pace of crazy news ever slow down again?  When I think back to life BT (Before Trump) it seems like a relatively slow, serene walk in the park compared to now.  I used to marvel at photographs of our presidents over their four year terms and was often surprised by how quickly they aged in office.  That aging is happening to me.  

But still we survive another week.

Without further ado, I offer you my five things that helped me get through the week.  In no particular order:

1)  A great hairdo.  (Are they called "hairdos" any more?)

I had my hair blown dried at a salon near my house last weekend.  It was the more expensive of the local places, and very crowded, but I had been curious about it.  The man who did the honors did a great job -- (I know because of my "Compliment Counter" -- patent pending) and because it lasted almost a week.  And because I felt better about my appearance all week.  (If you needed reminding that I am not good at grooming my own hair, all you have to do is look at the pictures on this website.  And yet, I own several hair brushes.)

2) Spring weather.  It helps.  It helps a lot, even if we're all sneezing a bit.

3)  Reupholstery.   It's like getting new furniture at a fraction of the cost!  I just had a pair  of chairs recovered, and they pop in my living room.  (It's the small things, sometimes.)

4)  The Visitors to Versailles exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum.  A small exhibit, but beautifully done.  The audioguides are seriously transporting -- you are at once a courtier at the court of one of the Louis-es.  (That's challenging punctuation, and probably incorrect.)  Then you are a foreign emissary coming to pay respects from your country -- and getting outfitted à la the French kings.  With the sounds of horses and music and guests , the audioguide is a vacation in itself.  The costumes and furnishings and architecture of the palace are fascinating too.  What started as a (relatively) humble country castle became a virtual town within its own walls.  Come to the Metropolitan Museum if you're in New York.

<iframe src='https://players.brightcove.net/911432378001/SkBUku4V_default/index.html?videoId=5744107390001' allowfullscreen frameborder=0></iframe>

5)  Robert Mueller, I do hope you're feeling well!  Do you need some Kleenex?  Antihistamines? Sleep?  Orange Juice?  A weekend off?  No pressure, but we are counting on you, sir.

Take care of yourself, Mr. Mueller!  And all of you, too.

xx Lisa

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) (WHO ELSE?)

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, something crummy happened to me, and I took it out on the WRONG PERSON.  (I hate when I do that.) 

Disappointed.

And then, still feeling sour, I realized it was time to write the blog, in which I scour my life for good feelings, even when they are not fully palpable.  

That's the way it's going to be today.  This dog's expression, though doctored (what you kids call "Photoshopped") is exactly right.  

ANYWAY,

1)  I love cottage cheese, and yet I forget that I like it for months at a time.  Today it was better than ever.  I'm the only one in my household except for #ExhibitD -- Henry, the dog -- who likes it.  But as a professional scavenger, Henry doesn't count.  He'll eat anything.  Today the cottage cheese was especially satisfying.   If this makes me seem weird or grannyish, so be it.

2) I haven't confessed my love for "The Americans" before.  I am addicted to this program.

It's carefully and ingeniously wrought.   I don't think I'm smart enough to pick up on all the hints the writers offer up on who will be doing what to whom.  My partner figures them out and is sometimes incredulous by how much passes me by, but unlike him, I have very little experience in spy-procedural-crime tv and movies.  If you haven't watched it at all, you need to start at the beginning.  This is the final season, and I'm curious and not at all sure how it will end.  One thing is for sure:  the character of Elizabeth Jennings, played by Keri Russell, is the worst mother I've ever observed on tv.  It only makes me love Philip Jennings, her husband more.

[If you're an aficionado of the show, can you please tell me when/if Stan and Renee got married? And what happened to his son?  Thank you.]

3) The concept of a worldwide Facebook Boycott.  I don't know much about it other than it's planned for May 25th - June 1.  (Sorry if your birthday falls then.  I believe my college reunion will be happening then as well.)  It's not just that Zuckerberg, Sandberg, et al haven't protected our information.   I enjoy Facebook less and less.  One of the best instincts I ever had was to NOT EVER load Facebook onto my phone.  In my crowd -- of 25 people? -- in between TrumpHannityGiulianiCohenStormyIvankaJaredManafort, I am reading about the deaths of loved ones, the loss of jobs, and the college placement of kids.  Sometimes it makes me feel stuck.  Mostly it makes me blue -- not the FOMO so much as the time lost while speed-reading through.  May 25-June 1 I'll be away from Facebook, along with many others.  

4)  Thank you notes.  I appreciate them, I like them, I endorse them.  I adore receiving them.  They make people feel good.  Gratitude is underrated, not matter how many people use the term.

5) The man:  Robert S. Mueller, III

Have a great weekend.  

It's rosé season!

Lisa xx

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) (WHO ELSE?)

So I lost my wallet.  It was very simple, made of black leather, and I dropped it (I'm assuming) outside the glorious Seattle Public Library, our final stop on a 4-day visit to Seattle.  

I liked that It had no metal, no logo, no colorful lining, but I admit it was hard to find in a bag's dark interior.   Inside, of course, were credit cards, medical ID, driver's license, money, credit certificates, and photos.  Losing it was a bummer.  Why am I including the lost wallet in a blog about appreciation?  

I'm happy to tell you.

1)  A wallet is a thing.  I've lost wallets before.  It's always a trial to replace the stuff within, but mostly it's just a small leather thing, nothing to feel too sentimental about.  And now I get to buy a new one, which will certainly be in a bright color.

2)  I didn't know how I'd board my flight home without identification.  Luckily, Sea-Tac Airport has a Clear kiosk.  I joined Clear last year and wasn't sure it was really worth the membership, BUT I told the attendant my predicament, and she explained that one doesn't need an ID with Clear.  She scanned my retinas, and I was through security.  That was exciting.  

https://www.clearme.com/how-it-works

3)  Look at this incredible library!  I do not have a great eye, and in general don't take a lot of photographs, (hence, at least for the moment, no Instagram), but the Rem Koolhaas-designed library building can make anyone look like an "art photographer."  The library was very busy on this Monday morning.  People at computers, people in the stacks, people in the cafe, and very good gift shop, people at the Edward Curtis exhibit, people reading in comfortable chairs.  Yes, many homeless people carrying their weight in satchels and shopping bags -- (there are plenty of them in Seattle) but they didn't scare off the other library-goers.

4)  When I think about being a "grownup," I think I should be a woman with a French twist, a well-cut sheath dress, and pumps.  My parents dressed up to go out at night, and at least five or six times a year went to black tie events.  I so seldom measure up.  I'm usually in blue jeans, a shirt and a sweater and flat shoes or low-heeled boots.  A couple of bracelets on my right wrist; a watch on the left.  On Wednesday night I wore a gown.... a gown.!  A gown with a short train!  We were invited to a gala celebration of Brooks Brothers 200th birthday.  They produced a concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center that was superb.  The emphasis was on America -- American music, American haberdashers, American idiom.  Jazz, if you think about it, is a wholly American genre of music.  Wynton Marsalis started off the program, with artists such as Jon Batiste, The Dap Kings, Allison Krause, Ledisi, Shirley Caesar, Chris Thile, Paul Simon ... a gospel choir, and many other performers.  It was diverse, uplifting, and ended with a birthday cake.  It was fun glamming up, but it required quite a bit of effort on my part.  Not something I could do or want to do on a very frequent basis.  

5)  Robert S. Mueller, III

He's the man.

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Lisa

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) (WHO ELSE?)

Dear Readers,

It's been a week, hasn't it?   Some kind of week.  Reminds me of a story a great comedy writer producer, Bill Persky ("The Dick Van Dyke Show,"  "That Girl,"  "Kate & Allie", etc.) has told me.  

Bill Persky

He was once invited to see a well-known-but-maybe-past-his-prime comedian perform at the Copacabana nightclub in New York -- I think the comedian wanted Bill to write him new material. In any case, Bill was unimpressed with the show but still had to go backstage and pay his respects to the performer.  What should Bill say that would be kind, but not a lie, and acquit him in the dressing room?  He came up with, "Wow, did you fill 45 minutes!  Boy oh boy, that was some 45 minutes!"  

Which brings us back to this week.

Between James Comey's book and tv appearances, "taint teams," Michael Cohen's client #3 - Sean Hannity, the courtroom artist's sketch of Stormy Daniels' thug, John McCain's medical troubles, Barbara Bush's health decline, and so on -- (and I'm only writing this on TUESDAY) it's been quite a week.  This administration is aging us!  I feel the only way to train for this endless hysterical news cycle is to run up and down stairs -- all day -- in a highrise.  The air is thin up here!

But we must hold on to the good, in the midst of all the bad, strange, and unsettling.

1)  The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes.  

Honors and appreciation to the organization and to the winners.  It was great to see that the teams of reporters who dug deep to investigate the sexual predators were rewarded for their hard and good work.    I read the remarks made by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and I wanted to post them here.  They moved me enormously.  

https://www.nytco.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/Pulitzer-speech-from-Jodi-and-Megan.docx.pdf

2)  Over the weekend I attended a bridal shower.  It was the first shower I've been to for the daughter of a friend.  It was delightful.  Given the bride-to-be in question is a lovely, brilliant, serious feminist, I was amazed by how feminine the party was.  Of course, it was a bridal shower, not a We Work meet up.  There were flowers everywhere -- on the cupcakes, on the tables, on the fabric of the dresses.  (My memo said "casual."  Don't ask what I wore.)  But I loved the feminist/feminine connection.  The bride and many of her friends are lawyers.  I look forward to watching their progress in the years ahead.  And honestly, the love of this family for one another, and the romance in the air was very, very nice to experience.

3)  I won a raffle for the first time in my life!  I won a raffle!  I won a raffle!  (I hope the person picking the ticket didn't rig it.  I did say, "I've never won a raffle in my life; I probably won't win this one."  Cue Eeyore voice.)

Before the drawing of the raffle

4)  Pulitzer Prizes, continued.  Andrew Sean Greer's novel, Less, won the prize for fiction.  This is worth celebrating, as it is a "comic novel," and "comic novels" are rarely taken seriously by the literati.  As someone who loves nothing more than making anyone laugh -- not that you'd know it from this blog -- this is an encouraging development.  Here is Christopher Buckley's review of Less from the New York Times last July.  I haven't read the novel yet, but I will when I go away this weekend.  Can't wait.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/books/review/less-andrew-sean-greer.html

Robert S. Mueller, III

Have a lovely weekend!

Lisa xo

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) (WHO ELSE?)

It's late Friday afternoon, so I need to be fast.  Forgive me.  I'll spend more time on the blog next week.

1. Old Friends    I've seen quite a few in the last week or so.  WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?  Actually I think the correct question is, "Where have I been?"  To be honest, I get very wrapped up in my family.  Is everyone well?  Is everyone happy?  Is anyone happy?  What do I need to do to help?  Anyway, one of life's treasures is an old friend, and this week was rich in them.  Life has also brought me new friends in the past year, and I'm enjoying cultivating those new friendships.  And as I get older, I'm thinking of making some younger friends too.  It's not high school anymore.  Besides, some of the freshmen are fun.

2.  The Washington Post.  

Their last giant moment, above.  Their new giant moment:  solid reporting every single day, reminding us that journalism is a noble and perilous career -- if done honorably and doggedly.

3.  Libraries Without Borders.  My new favorite non-profit organization.  Check it out!

https://www.librarieswithoutborders.org/

4.  Lilac season.  (It's late this year, but coming soon.)

5.  

Saluting Robert Mueller.  

Love, Lisa

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) (WHO ELSE?)

A propos of several emails I've received, I understand some of you would like to see more preppy subjects here.  I don't mind.  I've often wondered how far astray from that universe I could go before driving some of my readers mad.  You've been tolerant of my rants and private peccadilloes.  Thank you.

Nantucket Lightship Basket (with scrimshaw whale)

So without further ado, Five Things That Make This Preppy's Life Better

1)  Personalized stationery, ideally engraved.  Whether you select Crane's, Terrapin Stationers, Smythson's, or Tiffany's (or any other brand), you are more likely to actually write a letter or a note if you have paper that you like.  Furthermore, your name is always your brand.  You don't have to change it.  When you run out of paper, you still have your die, which you can use on different paper with a different-colored ink.  (Practical!)

2)  Coasters.  Only much too late did I figure out that coasters are necessary.  My parents' coffee tables were glass or marble, so rings were easily wiped off.  However, I used to have a beautiful leather-topped coffee table.  Then the exhibits would leave their juice or water glasses on it, or someone (it could have been me that one time) left a mug of hot coffee on the surface and somehow it spilled (it was an accident, I swear it!)  We have all matter of coasters at our house -- everything from equine prints to pop art.  I switch them up all the time, but they are always on hand to protect our wooden tables.

3) Salted almonds.  Have them on hand.  If you pour some in a pretty bowl, ta da!  You have snacks for guests.  If you need a snack and are disciplined, eat just 7 of them, like Barack Obama.  Either way they are a staple at my house.  And they go with any cocktail.

4) An outerwear vest:  As we say about the weather this year:  WHAT?  

In NY we have experienced almost every kind of weather since January.  We have lily and crocus dying in the frost.  We have birds whistling in the naked branches.  We have a forecast of 57 degrees farenheit and snow in a single day's forecast.  It's crazy.  I've become dependent on my old midnight blue Loro Piano vest (it is technically the innards of a jacket) which fits under a lightweight parka or even under a trim cloth coat.  I'm sick of it -- (it is April 6th, after all)-- but glad for it.  You might have a down vest or a Polarfleece one.  I'm sure it's been pressed into service this year.  If you don't have one, I highly recommend you find one.  They are available at many price points, and many silhouettes.

5)  

(You didn't think I'd forget Robert Mueller, did you?)  By the way, Mr. Mueller attended Princeton Country Day School, St. Paul's School, "where he was captain of the soccer, hockey, and lacrosse teams and won the Gordon Medal as the school's top athlete in 1962",  Princeton University (BA), NYU (MA), and the University of Virginia Law School (JD).  

Have a lovely weekend!

xLisa

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) (WHO ELSE?)

I GUESS I OVERSLEPT

Pardon me, friends.  I am sorry I let you down last week.  With my house full of bronchitis and la grippe, and the Exhibits home for the holiday, the blog wasn't on my mind.  I prepared a Passover Seder for 18 and am thinking about how great it was to assemble (almost) our entire family together at one very long and oddly-shaped table.  Because of logistics it doesn't happen often, and as my nieces and nephews begin to go hither and yon to college it may happen less often, but when it does it makes me grateful.

1)  I am descended from women who were not cooks. At least the two generations preceding mine were almost disastrous in the kitchen, and thus I was given no instruction whatsoever on how to cook or even cook-ish.  When I had a large kitchen and small kids, I was more of a "meal curator" (I know) than the chef de cuisine. (I'd get the chicken from Yura [gourmet shop] and the roasted brussels sprouts from Ageta [another gourmet shop] and pair them with my OWN baked potatoes.  This is after graduating from heating chicken nuggets.)  By the time my kids were in their late teens, I was able to cook a few reliable dishes.  Of course, I didn't get the hankering for cooking until I moved into a house with a tiny kitchen -- 4 burners, no counter space.   

Now when I cook I feel I am serving love on the plate as well.  I think it's because cooking isn't easy for me.  It's always stressful -- particularly in the time management aspects -- so it is an effort, but worth the time and the worry.  Anyway...

2)  This is a good place to mention my long-time partner.  He uncomplainingly helped do a massive amount of cooking and zhushing up.  He is a good man and a great helpmeet (the original word for I think "helpmate." (See below.)  And I am always grateful for him in my life.

“He had a helpmeet as ancient as himself, but who differed from him in having a hump.”

The Story of Tim
Anonymous ”

3)  We have some Gluten-free people in our midst.  [Comedian Donell Rawlings says, "I heard Gluten Free, I said how long was he Locked up?"]  This year it was easy to find gluten-free matzah.  One that was terrific:  

We didn't care for the others.

4)  I found some early LILACS -- this blush color.

I can't smell them yet (my cold) but they look wonderful.

5)  Robert Mueller. 

Until Friday,

Lisa xx

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) WHO ELSE?

Hello again.  Have you ever felt as if life were coming at you like a ballboy?  (The mechanical ones which send you hundreds of serves practically before you can return one? -- if the settings are too fast?)  That's what this week seemed like to me.  Whooh -- there goes Tillerson!  Now here's Stormy's lawyer.  Look sharp because another aid was fired, and the president lied to the Prime Minister of Canada.  Whoah.  Too fast.  Too soon.  Too much.

Walter Shaub, who was the director of the government's Office of Ethics until 2017 (having served there since 2006, under President George W. Bush) blamed himself earlier in the week for taking a "rare nap".  (He slept through the first reports that the Secretary of State had been fired by tweet.  It reminded me of the great movie comedy "Airplane!," in which the Chicago airport tower supervisor, played by Lloyd Bridges, realizes he "picked the wrong week to quit smoking."

In any case, this is March Madness, and the only sane response is to try to enjoy the moments in between the chaos.

1.  Once again I must admit my favorite thing was a 3/3 day, when I speak to all of my exhibits.  I have always known that I am a gooey, mushy mother, but feeling that streak of joy at just connecting with all of them, is deep.  I worry that I hover too closely over them, so when they call.... it makes me happy.  (Even if it's a call for money.)  (Luckily, they never read this blog.)

2.  My friends.  I could cry with gratitude for all of you.  You're there with a funny text, or a virtual high-five.  I try to be the friend I want to cultivate.  Somedays I feel like a misanthrope, and you save me... from me.

3.  Since I practiced Drynuary, (my least favorite fad), I have enjoyed drinking less than usual.  Instead of two glasses of wine, I find myself drinking one and feeling more satisfied.  This is not a lecture.  I adore adult beverages and am a practiced self-medicator.   But though the cocktails help dull reality, reality has also dulled the pleasures of the grape, and the mash, and the juniper berry, and the agave plant.  So less might really be more.

4.  Erasable pens.  I knew they existed, but I forgot to get one.  Then my friend Laurie pressed one into my hands, and presto!  My date book is cleaner.  It was covered with scribbles and crossings out. It may not seem much to you, but it's BIG for me. 

(https://www.awebtoknow.com/reviews/best-erasable-pens/

https://www.bestreviews.guide/erasable-pens

5.  Robert Mueller.

Have a merry weekend!

xLisa

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BETTER (FOR ME) (WHO ELSE?)

It was wonderful to see that some of us are on the same wavelength.  I'd call it "Enough with all the crap that's bombarding us; which smaller, personal things help cheer me up?"  It's a little bit of a gratitude exercise blended with some random recommendations, and topped off with a dash of optimism.  

I want to thank Nikki Stern, Kelly Curtis, EM, Katy Coffey, John Douglas Marshall, Karen Berlin Ishii, Honore Ervin, Shpresa Oruci, Deb Broide, Diane Heller, Juliet Roscigno-Filipkowski, Lisa Kulick Aiden, Dennis Wipper, and Barbara Webb for their contributions.  Maybe this week, we'll get even more.  Remember this is INTERACTIVE!

• THURSDAY:  This Thursday was my favorite day.  I spoke with all three of my Exhibits tm,  and not one of them scolded me for being... you know.... too me. Even more unusual and pleasurable was that my son, Exhibit A, texted me out of the blue to see if I wanted to have lunch with him.  I did.  (I always want to have lunch with my kids.)  And we had a quick, unexpected time together.
• CREAM OF WHEAT:  I had forgotten how comforting this breakfast food was.  The last time I made it was probably for a toddler or two I had living with me -- (those wily exhibits).  Anyway, in the cold and thundersnow I had the inexplicable urge for Cream of Wheat for my own breakfast, and it delivered coziness and comfort in every spoonful.  If you are unfamiliar with it, it's like grits for Yankees.  (Waiting for the dissent to come pouring in.)  I love mine with a big pat of butter in it.  Others like raisins, honey, or maple syrup.  Or copy the serving on the box.

• THE EXTRA-LONG PHONE CHARGING CORD that my boyfriend got me: No matter where I sleep on my bed, I can charge my phone and reach it, too.  You have no idea how much stress I had with the regular, much shorter cord.  I didn't either until I got my new one.  Phew.
• OPENTABLE.COM:  I'm not their spokesperson, and it's not even new or even unique, but the ease of making restaurant reservations just using an app is pretty fantastic.   Sometimes it doesn't work as well on my laptop.  I'll want to go to restaurants that don't use the service.  But by and large Opentable is a helpful, time saving tool.
• MY WRISTWATCH:  I love wristwatches, and own about six of them, though I tend to be conventional and only wear one at a time.  I never remove my watch before bedtime.  I usually wake up once or twice in the night, and I like seeing the time (generally in the 3s and 6s).  Leaving the house without a watch on my left wrist (it's happened occasionally) makes me feel untethered, even though my phone has a clock in it. 

Until next week, my lovelies....

Lisa