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On days when you have not much to say – turn to poetry

I couldn’t spend even a minute today crystalizing even one thought. My friends had arrived on a redeye – that was the most I remembered because their visit went by in a blur. I had spent Sunday morning at the hospital listening to a doctor tell me what I already knew about my mother – he was personable, his words filled me with more sadness. I spent Monday like most Monday’s bewilderly busy and wondering…

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The perils of too much to do

I’m an overachiever and consummate multitasker and the problem is that I am always busy. Last night, we went by our friends’ new house and I sat at the bar and let them serve me champagne and yummy artichoke dip and I could have just sat there all night. Today, I woke to a headwind of work and the painters arriving to paint the sections of the house that had to be resealed because of…

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New Orleans Ambassador in Training

I have declared myself an ambassador for this great city, and I’ll tell anyone who wants to know how great the charms and ways of New Orleans are. After Katrina, I decided the least I could do is proselytize about a place that has me thoroughly under its spell. So when Tom & Matko came from Croatia and one of them is an architect, I made it my business to put together a walking tour…

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The red eye to New Orleans

Had some girlfriends come in on the redeye last night – one has never been to New Orleans – let’s see what is there to do? Hmmm. French Quarter – lunch at Stanleys Sit on the porch Swirl’s Friday night tasting A “Gimme a Break” party thrown by friends Next day: Breakfast at the LaLa Tour of Garden District – then 9th Ward Frenchman Street for Music Then dancing at Mimi’s to Soul Sister. What…

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Restoring the splendor along with the memories

In keeping the best and throwing out the rest theme, The Roosevelt has reopened in grand style. The old grand dame was purchased by Waldorf Astoria and it just makes me smile to hear people talking about the Blue Room, the Sazerac lounge, and even remembering many early morning – like 3 or 4AM – meals I had at Baileys, which is now John Besh’s Dominica. In 1983, when I was marrying my first husband,…

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Keeping what is best and throwing out the rest

I went to see my therapist, E, today to work through some of the uglies of the past six months and wala, I feel better. I haven’t seen her for a while. Probably the most important thing I got out of talking to her was permission to grieve my mother and also permission to not have to be strong all the time. Yes, okay, so you know this already and don’t need a therapist, well…

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Good Yom Tov

Sort of redundant but this means good good day and it is a greeting Jews deliver to each other around this time of year – the high holidays – this Friday night is the eve of Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish Near Year and literally means when we begin anew. Well, I’m ready for some newness that is for sure. And so the year 5770 begins this weekend and is followed ten days later…

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