First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Post-holiday Menu

When I was kid, I was a picky eater, just like my Dad. There was a dividing line in the family. While my mom and brother would scarf down exotic things like green beans and lamb chops, Dad and I only hungered for toast and chocolate ice cream. As a growing child that wasn’t an option, so the compromise for school lunches was peanut butter and jelly. I consumed that sandwich every day for years, and never got tired of it. After all the rich food this holiday season, I’m ready to get back to basics.

Painting of pb&j by Oriana Ingber

Madame Speaker

Nancy Pelosi makes history, again.

Good Intentions

I hope your first week of 2019 is going well, or at least isn’t too wobbly. For my Career Coaching site, in honor of the season, I’ve written about New Year’s resolutions and how to make them really work. If you have an interest in the subject, check it out here –

Cartoon for The New Yorker by Kim Warp

2019, Game On

Here’s to you 
And the sea you’ve swum.
That you’re still afloat,
And paddling on.
We’re almost there,
It’s almost done.
Another circle 
Around the sun.

Poem and Illustration by Oliver Jeffers

Let There Be Light

23 seconds and counting…

Twitter feed @HereComesTheSun

Too Soon?

Cartoon by P.C. Vey for The New Yorker

Ho Ho Ho!

To all who celebrate, a very, merry Christmas!!

Pasta Santa hats by Linda Miller Nicholson

Down Time

My iPhone battery is draining from all the Twitter use. I’m finding it very hard to turn off the news. In the nick of time, my Friday night unplug ritual is calling. 

Illustration by Stephan Schmitz

Creating Options

Regular FPS readers know that I host a lavish, annual Christmas dinner for close friends at my home. I started the tradition about 10 years ago to insure that I’d have a place to go for the holidays. All the planning, prepping, cooking and even setting the table with red and green decorative touches gives me a sense of belonging during an otherwise fraught time of year. There’s no mistletoe here, but lots of options for hugs and kisses.

Chart by Matt Shirley

Moral Compass

Today, Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Children’s Hospital in D.C. to hand out gifts to delighted kids. I’ve watched the video of his visit many times now. And I’ve welled up in tears, thinking about the long, dark journey we’ve traveled as a nation since his presidency. May the good times return soon.