First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Unprocessed

Cubes by Lernert & Sander

Sometimes Enough is Enough

Illustration by Lee Crutchley

How to Stay Afloat

My happily married parents had a wide circle of friends with whom they regularly socialized. There were weekly games nights in the neighborhood, monthly trips into Manhattan for dinner and theater, and the annual, raucous New Year’s Eve bash complete with noisemakers, pointy hats and party games. The group also rallied for the tough times – the hospital stays and the funerals. It was a potent lesson about the bonds of community and it has served me well.

Stability by Laura Berger

What’s Blooming in Your Neighborhood?

In L.A, we have the luxury of colorful year-round foliage, but I still get giddy with the annual spring burst of purple from the Jacaranda tree. What’s it look like where you live?

Word Sculpture by Jessica Lichtenstein

End of Week Zen

Illustration by Marc Johns

Made for Each Other

Pantone food pairing by Dschwen

The Real Deal

For years now, my nightly routine before the first forkful of dinner, is a round of gratitude. I take a breath and try to remember the good things about the day. Lately (among other things) is that there is no one currently occupying the apartment directly above me, so I’m grateful that it’s quiet. Then I name the people in my circle who are in need of healing or just general divine light, a list that always ends with my dog, Rose, and me. Finally, I say a prayer of thanks for the bounty of food at my table. And after all of that, I feel blessed.

Painting by Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber

Swing

Illustration by Thoka Maer

How to Dress Like a Girl

Although I don the occasional dress, I’ve never been a girly girl. I fit in fine in San Francisco, where the cooler weather inspires an urban, tomboy chic. But moving to L.A. was a wardrobe shock as I perceived most women as wearing their hair long, their shoes high and their skirts short. More than a decade later, I’ve been influenced by the Southand style (pops of color in my closet and an array of flip flops), but mostly I’m sticking to my look.

Check out itwasneveradress

Can We Fix What’s Broken in Baltimore?

Read this.

Injustice: Baltimore, 2015 by Peter Mendelsund