Knitting or How Creativity Connects
I always knit when I'm on a plane, or crochet. In fact, if I have a flight coming up, and I don't have a knitting project going, I frantically cast about for one, often shopping for yarn at the last minute. Knitting hats is ideal as they're not a bulky project to carry around. However, I can finish knitting a [...]
Learning to Pace Myself
Nine weeks out from my hip surgery, I wish I could say I've learned to pace myself. My recovery seems to be largely about taking it slowly, treating myself gently but alas, I'm still learning that, and all kinds of other things: Listening to my body. This is what my surgeon told me to do at my six-week check-up when [...]
Visiting the Historic Vilna Shul in Boston and Discovering a Beautifully Decaying Piece of Old World Jewry
Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is around the corner, and so I thought this is a good time to share a few photos from my visit to the Vilna Shul in Boston back in April. I've milled about Boston's historic Beacon Hill many times; in fact, it's my favorite neighborhood there. And yet, I didn't know about the Vilna [...]
On Rereading Books
I just reread a book I had read in 2012 when it first came out: Susannah Conway's This I Know. It is one of the few books I've gifted several times and I have recommended it often to friends going through grief and bereavement. I found there is much to be learned from rereading. I initially leafed through it looking [...]
My Book’s Almost Titles
At book events, I'm often asked how I came up with my book's title, Jumping Over Shadows (see that story here: How to Come Up with a Book Title). Recently, however, when I told the story of the title, someone asked what the other contending titles had been. I thought this would make an interesting book companion post. An Impossible Love, [...]
Why Handwritten Get Well Cards Are Special
I have blogged before about the special magic of handwritten letters and postcards. But now that I am recovering from hip surgery and have been largely housebound, I discovered just how special it is to receive an actual get well card in the mail. In this age of WhatsApp, texting, email, Facebook posts and messaging, I have received plenty of well [...]