Domestic arts
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A garden-variety mood booster
You’ve probably noticed that your problems fade to the background whenever you’re engrossed in something you enjoy. I’m a worrier by nature, but I’ve learned over the years that doing something with my hands — and I don’t mean typing or fiddling with my cell phone — works better than any drug prescribed for anxiety. From plotting to planting, gardening is my best medicine. I spent most of yesterday afternoon browsing around several plant nurseries, comparing the various selections of herbs, annuals, and perennials. The fresh scents and bright colors gave me a much-needed lift after so many days of depressing news stories about mass shootings and political turmoil. Though…
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Respecting our food
“Cooking is at once one of the simplest and most gratifying of the arts, but to cook well, one must love and respect food.” ~Craig Claiborne Like everyone else I know, I cooked at home more often during the early days of the pandemic. I spent untold hours searching online for recipes to vary our weekly menus. And I realized (more than ever) that having access to the right ingredients is essential to preparing a delicious, healthful meal. Once I was able to get out and shop for our own groceries again, I was twice as grateful for the variety of fresh produce available at the local markets. I had…
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What’s in front of you
“First a person should put his own house together, then his town, then the world.” ~Rabbi Israel Salanter Remember the old folk tale about the cobbler who was so busy crafting shoes for his customers that he didn’t have time to make shoes for his own kids? Sadly, many of us have witnessed similar examples of such neglect in real life today. The tale inspired what’s now officially known in psychology practices and business circles as “Cobbler’s Children Syndrome.” This syndrome occurs every time we overlook the folks closest to us — family and friends — because we’re preoccupied with the problems of the community at large. Or maybe we’re…
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Little sparks of daily joy
“Joy has been leaking out of our lives. The small pleasures of the ordinary day seem almost contemptible, and glance off us lightly.…So, perhaps it’s a good time to reconsider pleasure at its roots. Changing out of wet shoes and socks, for instance. Bath robes. Yawning and stretching. Real tomatoes.” ~ Barbara Holland, Endangered Pleasures There’s not much happy news in the world lately. We can count on a depressing cycle of mass shootings; political turmoil; war casualties; vicious winter storms. Which is why I always look forward to David Muir’s “America Strong” segment on ABC’s “World News Tonight.” Concluding the nightly news show, “America Strong” highlights uplifting stories of…
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Everyday luxuries
“Using fine china, updating bedclothes to something ultra-soft and cozy, framing a favorite photo, or polishing a cherished piece of silver fosters such delight. And it doesn’t have to break your back or the bank.” ~Cheryl Richardson A few years ago, I decided to start using a set of my “good dishes” every day. The set isn’t particularly fine or precious — but it includes several handy serving pieces, mixing bowls, and accessories. Most of these were stored in our basement, or otherwise out of reach, until we hosted company for dinner. To make room for the whole set in the kitchen, I sold my old everyday dishes in a…
