I walk in silence beside my mother. She’s listening to classical music on her iPod. I’m thinking about beauty, specifically how it doesn’t have to come with an expensive price tag attached. I start to notice all the beauty around me, all of it free. The floral fragrance on the corner of Eighth and Oxford, […]
Sunflower happiness
Four sunflower heads floated in shallow plates of water on the dining table. Earlier that day they had lined the path at a wedding. Now they graced my home. There they were in all their sunflower glory. Being themselves. Filling the room with cheery warmth. Inviting me to notice their rich golden yellow petals. To […]
Alphabet soup
Chicken noodle. French onion. Potato leek. Beet Cabbage Borscht. A bowl of warm soup hits the spot and offers comforting nourishment. And nourishment is so much more than food. I decided an alphabet would be a fun way to explore and deepen my understanding of this word. I offer it to you in case you […]
The uncommon magic of a handwoven kitchen towel: What I long to tell you
I was at a craft fair recently and over the course of three days, I heard several women comment, I’d wear that as a scarf, as they fingered a kitchen towel. I’ve heard this and similar comments frequently over the years. Even after all this time, I struggle to respond, feeling like it’s not okay […]
Can a tea towel reduce the crime rate?
In the 1990s the crime rate in New York City fell suddenly. Violent crime decreased in cities across the country as the crack trade declined, the economy recovered and the population aged. But these facts don’t explain why it fell so dramatically in NYC where the population was actually getting younger and the poorest neighborhoods […]
