Hello there, how have you been? It’s been such a long time since we’ve chatted about books, so let’s fix that. I enjoy doing a recap of what I’ve been reading every year, rejoicing over my favorites and occasionally warning you of lemons so you can avoid them if you wish. I didn’t get around to doing this for 2020, for several reasons. First- I’ve had a year long case of the worst writer’s block. I heard recently that perhaps…
I feel uncertain which day I should celebrate my anniversary since it took me two days to move, but around two years ago, on the 8th and the 9th of March, I swam my way out of my old life and into this crazy adventure. And I really mean swam- it was a very soggy occasion as I said farewell to everyone I knew and set out for New York City. I remember that moment as if it was last…
Hello fellow citizens of this planet, and greetings from cold and snowy Queens. How have you been? Are the winter blues hitting you now that it’s February, which is arguably the longest month of the year? I sit amid my piles of slushy snow, looking at pictures of my friends in Florida, and toasting my feet on my radiator as I sift through bankruptcy claims for errors day after day. The toasting is necessary, because I’ve discovered recently that I…
One. The Bullfrog Opera, by The Okee Dokee Brothers. This one is just nonsensical enough to tickle my fancy. I mean, “We’ve got Broadway tickets to see a line of crickets, and the loons are playing Carnegie Hall…” Yes please. Not to mention, the woodwind woven through out is da bomb. Two. Be Kind to Yourself, by Andrew Peterson. For a long time, I didn’t get the Andrew Peterson fans. My friends kept going on about how much they loved…
I never had a white Christmas. One time in my life it snowed in North Carolina on Christmas day, and that particular year I spent the day driving to Michigan, where all the snow cheerfully melted upon my arrival. So this year I was brainstorming with a few girlfriends, and when one of us said, “Hey, let’s go to New England for Christmas!” the others said, “Yes, let’s”, because we’re good like that. We googled places that are nearly always…
Hello friends, Here’s the thing- a month ago or so I got to set foot in my beloved Brooklyn Tabernacle for the first time since March, as I’ve told you, oh, a dozen times or so. We went in little groups and recorded a choir song for the opening number of the virtual Christmas concert BT is putting on. I got to see a preview of the song this week, and guys, I was so impressed! I was expecting the…
When you mention New York City, several reactions tend to come up. First, you have the cynics who shudder at the thought of stepping foot in such a grimy concrete jungle and think it is where the worst of humanity collects to poison this fair country. On the other hand you have the romantics who have played tourist here and whose eyes sparkle with Rockefeller lights and stoplights; whose memories are threaded with thin crust pizza and yellow taxi cabs,…
Happy (post) Thanksgiving, my pineappley readers! I know Thanksgiving looked very different for a lot of people this year, but I hope that, even if your plans were disrupted, your pie was delicious and your turkey succulent. One can bear a lot with a plate full of delicious comfort food, right? My Thanksgiving was weird too, but what else is to be expected? I started off with an early Friendsgiving in Jersey, which was perfectly lovely, then for my first…
Would you like to join me for a stroll in Central Park today? Let’s back up a little first though; this morning I am sitting at my desk with a roaring ear infection and wifi that keeps going out and disconnecting me from the servers at work. It’s vexing and more than a little painful, and I smell like rice because of the homemade compress I’m using. I complain to my friends, as one does, and shortly a DoorDash order…
Dear Queens, Whoever the genius was that thought to line your streets with trees which turn into a shower of gold come fall, I hope he knows how much I love his brilliance. You really do turn into a queen crowned with gold this time of year. Love, Smitten Dear Brooklyn Bridge, Listen. You’re cool at the worst of times. Even when the tourists are crowding and jogging your elbows and making you mutter things under your breath as they…
This is obviously by no means a comprehensive, or even particularly accurate, list. Nevertheless, it’s fun to speculate and rant a little about these things, isn’t it? Ladies, tell me what you would add to the list- what you think men will never quite be able to get. There is that sinking feeling of realizing, the very moment you get to work, that you really should have worn a slip, and you have static and you definitely can’t stand…
Dear Friend, You know how often people who break up have to have one last little fling before they end things for real? You know, you’ve broken up but you run into your ex by your bodega and he asks if you wanna get coffee and just catch up a little, and you say of course, and suddenly before you know what hit you, you have to break up all over again? Well. I feel this is where we…