First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Keep Moving

Animation by Nicolas Monterrat

Contest: How to Measure Success

For those who read this blog regularly, you know I’m clumsy with tools. I’m practically phobic when it comes to home repair. But since discovering eTAPE, a new essential so user-friendly and fun, I’m inspired to get busy fixing things. eTAPE revolutionizes the tape measure by providing a digital readout as you go along, with a memory that locks in the numbers. It’s brilliantly simple, and now can be yours. To enter our latest contest, tell us about a time you felt accomplished with a home-related project. It could be hanging artwork, replacing a screw or overseeing a remodel. Scale is NOT important here, but that you did it and feel good about it.

Submit your entry using the Comments section. Include your first name. If you win, we’ll email for your U.S. shipping address and phone number. By submitting you’ll become an FPS subscriber (if you’re not already). Please submit only one idea per entry, though feel free to enter as often as you like. Deadline is June 26, 2015.

Quality Time

Have you reserved some for yourself this weekend?

Illustration by Ella Frances Sanders

Reminder

Today, I needed this.

Art print from Obvious State

Ready for a Good Tomato

Most Sunday mornings, I go to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, which is one of the best in L.A. and near my neighborhood. At 8:30 am, it’s already buzzing. Walking amidst the produce makes me calm, especially this time of the year when stands are bursting with the spring harvest. Cherry tomatoes have begun to crop up (so to speak), but they haven’t peaked yet. I’ve been sampling them, hoping this will be the week. But it takes patience. We’re very close. I can almost taste it.

Photo by Emily Blincoe

Adorable Pet Names

My dog Rose is 10. Through the years, her nicknames have morphed. For no coherent reason, I also call her mama pajama, potato-head girl and smelly belly. What are your adorable pet names?

Comic by Randall Monroe

Would We Elect a President Who is Single?

Today, I swerved to the side of the road to call in to a radio show that was asking the question, would you vote for a presidential candidate who never married? Senator Lindsey Graham, a lifelong bachelor, just announced his candidacy, and the host (and some listeners) made it clear that they would not be in favor of it. They suggested that married people have a fuller life experience, are better at compromising and understand more about the American family. As you can imagine, my head was exploding. It took awhile to reach the call screener. I told her how single people have a life experience that’s full, just different. We’re often more nimble, better at creating networks of support, and have learned how to stand up for ourselves, even when going against the cultural norm. The screener loved it, and she was about to put me on the air, but the segment was wrapping up.

Illustration by Marc Johns

Let’s Celebrate. It’s National Donut Day!

Free donuts. Could there be a bettter holiday? Which variety is your favorite?

Illustration by Matt Groening

Rebel

In my family, being single felt like swimming upstream. I had great role models for marriage, but also enormous pressure to partake of it. Eventually, I got used to not pleasing everyone. And in the end, it was freeing.

Illustration by Carolyn Sewell

One Step at a Time

Illustration by Geoff McFetridge