Resolution: Have More Grit

I just saw True Grit starring Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin. It was fantastic. But it made me realize how lacking I am in grit. Could you, like Mattie Ross (played by the amazing 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld, the true star of the movie), endure hangings, gunfights, stabbings, having to sleep next to […]

Best of 2010!

Abandon series

Sure, 2010 had its downsides: the horrible economy, the earthquake in Haiti, the BP oil spill, just to name a few. The weather certainly could have been better. And what was with all those bedbugs? But in what other year has something touched all of us as deeply as the miraculous rescue of those Chileans […]

The Princess Thing

I went to see Tangled this weekend! It was really fun, but of course with the holidays and everything, it got me reflecting on “the princess thing.” Now that I have nieces and a lot of friends who have daughters, I’m always hearing about “the princess thing” from someone. “Please don’t get my daughter any […]

Awesome Gifts, Some of Which You Can Win

If you’re like me, you’re panicking right now, realizing how behind you are in everything, including your Christmas shopping (if you’re shopping for Hanukkah, you’re basically screwed). So here are some ideas for you (for gifts. If you, like me, had a book due last week, all I can say is, welcome to the club […]

The Mark Ruffalo Effect

If you’re like me, you probably spent the holiday weekend eating, shopping, and watching movies. I have to send most of what I bought back because of course I bought it online and it’s way too small (this probably would not be the case if I hadn’t also bought ten boxes of peppermint bark from […]