First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Summer in the City

A book. A lounge chair. The pavement. I know it’s not for everyone, but I can totally make it work.

Photograph by André Kertész, 1964

Faith Takes Practice

I have friends who seem to trust that the universe is a fair place, and that everything will turn out okay. I envy them. For me, faith (and I use that term broadly) is a daily work out. Gratitude and patience are definite parts of the equation. But those don’t come easily either, so I’d add creating rituals in which to practice. What would you add?

Photo by Yong Hee Kim

Going For the Anodized Steel

If you’re reading this on July 27, 2012, there’s still time to enter our contest. Even if the deadline has passed, please add your voice to the comments. I’ve learned so much from all of you about essential tools for the kitchen. My wish list is growing. The winner will be announced next week.

Olympic Rings by Zevs

Daily Affirmation

A good general rule to follow. And it swings both ways.

Image by Rob Reynolds

Hat Check

Can you imagine wearing one of these? (On the left, it’s mink!)

1965 photo spread in the New York Times: “Halston makes visors and wind socks chic for fall.” 

Taking a Summer Plunge

Plunge is a funny sounding word. It rhymes with sponge. Or more aptly, lunge. It takes courage. Just the other day, I stood at the ledge of a pool summoning the courage to jump in. I’ve been trying to plunge back into dating sites. Every time I get an email from Match.com with perspective dates, I scan the profiles and get a little disheartened. It’s amazing how many men write that they “walk with the Lord.” (Oy!) But one of these days, I’m going to make a splash.

Image by Michel Dumontier and Neil Farber

Relaxing with a Cocktail and My Pet

Except for the part about manipulating one’s pet to do tricks for the camera (which I’ve only rarely done), this comic captures my favorite kind of evening. Can you relate?

Check out our contest. Deadline Friday.

Image by Andy Pandy

Looking Out (and in) For End of Week Zen

Enter our CONTEST, to win a copy of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

Image by Ana Galvañ

You Go, Girls

On this date in 1848, a convention for Women’s Rights got underway in Seneca Falls, N.Y., calling for religious, economic and political equality. The media response was swift and furious. From the Philadelphia Public Ledger and Daily Transcript: “A woman is nobody. A wife is everything.”
We showed them.

Contest: What is Your Kitchen Essential?

Last week, the luminous cookbook writer, Marion Cunningham died at the age of 90. Cunningham’s updated edition of The Fannie Farmer cookbook has become a classic. The original Fannie Farmer was also a visionary in the kitchen, and one of the first celebrity chefs. (See my profile of Farmer from the “single woman’s hall of fame.”)

To win a copy of this wonderful cookbook, answer the question: What is your kitchen essential? I realize it’s absurd to narrow it down to one, but that’s what makes it a challenge. What item or tool couldn’t you live without? Submit your entry using the Comments section. Include your first name. (If you win, we’ll get in touch by email for your U.S. shipping address, and telephone number.) Deadline: July 27, 2012.