I am often asked about favorite books or books that influenced me. This is one of them … A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf influenced me as a journalist and as a novelist in ways that continue to unfold. I’m pretty sure that I missed the humor on virtually every page when I…

1) Spring at last. In New England it’s revelatory to the point of ravishment. The dull, grey, dreariness has been replaced by little flowers and big flowering trees, very un-Yankee in their bright display. A new shade of green, young and fresh and tender, blushes the landscape. It makes the winter seem worth the wait.…

Ta-da! As of today, you can hear the beautiful voice of Rebecca Shrimpton singing my words set to the lovely music of Bert Seager. The title of the CD is REQUITED. As it says on the inside cover: Requited means “given in return,” “completed,” “made whole.” Requited is the word that best describes how I…

Jim and I visited Emilia in Costa Rica and had a Pura Vida time. Relaxed. I did not even turn my computer on for a solid seven days, which is some sort of record for me.The beaches were lovely, the food was simple and good, the heat (which I had been dreading) was bearable thanks…

It’s crazy. My brother called me to ask about poll results in Massachusetts.My mother is glued to the talk shows.Everyone I know is thinking and talking and donating and making phone calls. The most exciting election in my lifetime, for sure. I will be out of town tomorrow so I already mailed in my vote:…

New Year resolution lists are such a cliche. But that’s never stopped me before, so here goes. In 2008, I resolve to: Read more books.Wag more, bark less. (That’s actually a bumper sticker on my car.) Listen more, talk less. Take longer walks.Lose five pounds. (I told you this was a cliche.)Finish the novel I’m…

I got an ipod for Hannukah. I asked my husband for it, and he obliged.Why? Well, I felt old not having an mp3 player, not having those earbuds in my head, not understanding what the fuss was all about.My daughter was a little shocked that I wanted one. I don’t think she views me as…

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was spent with wonderful friends, who are masters at The Big Meal; cooking, serving, cleaning up. My husband, mother and I shared the table with 13 kind people and two turkeys (one smoked, the other deep fried, both delicious.)There was pie and cheesecake and wine. What…

Today is my daughter’s 22nd birthday. She is my one-and-only child, so this is a red letter day in my personal calendar. E. is living in Costa Rica this year, so I sorely miss being able to celebrate with her. To console myself, I visited with my friend A. and her little girls, age 3…

I’m wearing a Red Sox bracelet and I care too much about whether they win. I was in New York City yesterday and I realized that not everyone is as focused on this stuff as us maniacs in Boston and beyond. We grin sheepishly at one another, some of us anyway, at how much it…