Two years ago today, on my 57th birthday, I embarked on a project. I pledged to do one new thing—every single day—for the following year. As it turned out, one year of novel activities, both large and small, rolled into two years of something new every day. Now, 730 days later, I realize what a gift my experiment turned out to be. Just as my grown sons were beginning their careers and evolving
Crazy about pretty clothes, great shoes, and lists of all sorts, I fell in love with Brittany Fuson and her long-legged girls. Dressed in fabulous dresses and carrying the latest handbags, her blondes and brunettes and redheads sport everything I ever hope to find hanging in my dream closet. As she finished up her Apparel Design degree at the University of Alabama back in 2009, Brittany wanted to give each of
To me, fly fishing seems difficult. Wading in chilly waters, you wait for a hungry trout to nibble on an elaborate gadget composed of hair or feathers. According to Jen Lofgren, the sport doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating. “Besides,” she adds, “you learn to appreciate the outdoors, the tranquility, and your beautiful surroundings. After all, trout don’t live in ugly places!” In 1996, a fly fishing instructor took her
According to Matt Russo, “a gambling stick is an old Appalachian name for a stick used to hang a pig from the limb of a tree. Threaded through the heels of the pig, the stick supports its weight while the animal is harvested.” The gamble, and hope, is the stick can handle the pig’s weight, and the animal will not come tumbling down. In a parking lot in trendy East
Dylan Owens compares his job to owning a fast and sophisticated Ducati motorcycle. Both look really cool and seem glamorous to others. His career, and the sport bike, can get you to some fun places. Sometimes both will park you right outside the real action, peering in from a distance. And – truth be told – you have to really love them to be able to afford either
As we wander through the charming, historic Music Row building with the rickety staircases and old-world architecture, Dustin Williams proudly explains, “Everything we have here we fully expect to last 200 years.” The older they get, the more valuable. The more they are played, the better they sound. “We are lucky to be the caretakers of these beautiful instruments.”
Dodging cartons of cut flowers and drivers unloading boxes of tulips and hydrangeas, I maneuver my way along the crowded – and colorful – Chelsea sidewalk. Coffee in hand, this truly is a beautiful way to start my NYC day. As Troy Baksh says – “Who can possibly be unhappy when surrounded by fresh flowers?!” Located on West 28th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, New York City’s Flower Market
In a world where the daily news brings distress at a steady clip, Sandi Swiridoff found a way to warm hearts and make people laugh out loud. When you thought there couldn’t be anything cuter than the puppy’s antics in her imaginative photographs, she added a towheaded, bespectacled little boy to the mix. As she captured beautiful moments between the two, Sandi had no idea what a wild and philanthropic ride she
As the sun rises, Sharon Maxwell strolls along a beautiful mile-long stretch of beach in the Florida Panhandle. Carefully searching for evidence of night-time visitors in the dim morning light, this early morning walk is a type of peaceful meditation for her. And then she spots them – faint tracks leading out of the water, heading toward the dunes, and returning to the ocean. After two decades, she still gets
According to Frank Billingsley, “It’s coming, it is going to be a big one, and it is not going to miss us. This one is ours.” With Hurricane Ike charging toward the Texas Gulf Coast, his Houston audience filled bathtubs with water and piled blankets, radios, water, and dog beds into interior closets of their homes. They were ready to shelter in place. Since 1995, Frank, the chief meteorologist at
As we chatted with the baker at an upscale Italian bakery in a trendy section of Brooklyn, my son and I explained what we wanted. The gentleman, who had been baking panettone and cannoli and biscotti in this neighborhood long before it turned hip and cool, looked at us with a slight amount of distaste— and a whole lot of surprise. “You want two cakes at this wedding?” he said.
Jim Laurent relaxes with a book in the straw-filled “home” he and his wife share in the cavernous exhibit hall. Their area is tidy and swept, and a crockpot of chili simmers on a cloth-covered portable table. The background noise is a constant and comfortable lull—the bellow of goats, pigs, and cows. One of the largest and wealthiest rodeos in the world, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs for
For those who don’t know the quiet thrill of sliding down a mountain—carving out turns and leaving tracks in the snow, relishing the scenery and the solitude—it is exhilarating. And always a little bit out of my comfort zone. When I try to imagine doing this with one leg, no sight, or without the ability to use my body to lean into a turn as I careen down a mountain — well,
Our two sons were finishing college when my husband of 30 years accepted a new job. All was good, except for one tiny detail. This position was located 780 miles from our home. All our stuff – literally and figuratively – was in Houston. A home filled with the accouterments of raising our boys. Plus 20 years’ worth of friendships, history, comfort, and security. My life was in Houston,
Since moving to Nashville, I spend more time listening to live music in a variety of venues around town. After all, this is Music City. Aside from raw talent and lots of practice, I never think about what else makes for an outstanding show. According to Chris Pence, a sound engineer with country and pop bands, “When everything at a show sounds great, the artist is wonderful! But when things
Eager to care for her brand new granddaughter, Barbara Heilman’s first order of business was to shop for a car seat. She couldn’t operate the model her daughter, Becca Davison, owned, and she wanted something easy to use. However, when Barb and Becca returned from their shopping trip, Barb was frustrated and slightly panicked. She didn’t have the strength to unbuckle any of the car seats in the stores. When
Showing me around her meticulously organized and overflowing art studio, I have a hard time keeping up with Xima Lee Hulings. Amidst pens and paints and textiles and even a blow torch, she talks about her life and paintings and projects in her rapid-fire, exuberant way. Inspiring and educational, she motivates me to make a mess and create something. Because, as Xima laughs out loud and says, “Life is an
I recently accompanied a friend to the hospital for a routine, albeit still unsettling, outpatient procedure. Sitting in the waiting area, I noticed a gentleman staff member, dressed in scrubs, who escorted patients to their assigned medical spaces. As he greeted and directed a constant flow of patients, I continued to watch and listen to him. He captured my attention by being an exception. In this world of instant gratification
I have talked about my mid-life move to Nashville—no friends or family here, kids grown and gone. Arriving in town, I read everything I could get my hands on about happenings in our new city. I searched for ways to meet people and create a sense of belonging. Now it is two years later. Mary Hance agrees to meet with me, and I feel like I already know her. Unbeknownst to Mary, she was
On a gloomy Monday in October, this Nashville treasure swarms with activity. Despite the misty morning, a crew works to put finishing touches on transforming the 55-acre botanical garden into a magical, holiday wonderland. As we stroll around the Cheekwood estate and grounds, built with the Maxwell House coffee fortune, Jade Roser gives me a behind-the-scenes look into how Holiday Lights comes together. With his easy going, infectious enthusiasm, Jade
