Observations this week

by Leigh | Jan 10, 2025 | What's New

This week, as I drove through town, I passed a church that said, “Only Jesus Saves.” Then, right next door, a bank, with no sign. “Really?” I thought. What a missed opportunity.

Last Friday, the husband and I went out to dinner at the PA House. It’s an amazing little restaurant in Hellertown that feels right out of LA or NY. Either way, it’s swanky, and I love it so much. My husband got the lobster risotto, I got the Cobb salad, and we shared “the warm cookie.”

Saturday we had a follow-up Christmas with my sister-in-law and her kids, down from Connecticut. There were hot dogs and mac-n-cheese to eat, legos to build, and football on tv.

Sunday I went to the Yoga Loft even though I promised I’d go to church, alternating each week with yoga to make it fair, but then Yoga drew me like a self-care magnet that I couldn’t resist. And I don’t feel bad. It was a packed class which makes me so happy for Lisa. She’s so good and everyone should know it. But I never noticed yoga being resolution-effected. And then we celebrated the husband’s birthday. He asked for fancy macaroni and cheese, like he does every year. I always serve it as the main dish with a salad, but this year I added meatloaf and it was a big hit. I had a lot of help from the kids and it was probably the most fun I’ve had cooking for and hosting a party. Even though I failed on the cake frosting again. If you want the M&C recipe, it’s from the famous Vegetarian Epicure cookbook which you can get on Amazon. Or ask me and I’ll share it. I also have the world’s best chocolate cake recipe.

Monday it snowed. They cancelled school even though we didn’t get very much snow at all. And then the kids had “late arrival” all week due to standardize testing. It sort of threw us back into the Christmas break mentality so it’s been a very slow return to normalcy. I booked my trip to St. Louis in April. I’ve never been! Sort of want to do the Arch.

I finished Remarkable Bright Creatures and started James.

Tuesday I had my first class with Abigail Rasminsky and it was awesome. If you don’t know her, she’s an amazing writer and teacher. She’s a regular contributor to Cupojo.com as well as many other publications. This is the second writer’s workshop I’ve attended and it’s the most fun. You sign up for eight weeks of one hour zoom sessions with Abigail and a bunch of badass women writers where you get a writing prompt, a ‘space’ to write, plus tons of community, camaraderie, and hilarity.

The week gets better. Wednesday I went to see the musical Dear Evan Hansen at the State Theater in Easton. My friend Meaghan, who I’ve made a secret pact with to get out and do fun things with this winter had an extra ticket to the show. OH MY GAWD. The best Broadway musical, I think, of my life.

And then, AND THEN, Thursday, I had my Writers’ Circle at the Frenchtown Bookshop. This is where area writers meet and read their in-progress work and get feedback. It’s fun, funny, terrifying, helpful, and uplifting. I’m learning so much, and getting to know very interesting people.

And now it’s Friday. The husband is going to his Whisky tasting night so no date night. Maybe tomorrow.

THE PA HOUSE

THE YOGA LOFT

THE FRENCHTOWN BOOKSHOP

Hey What’s New

by Leigh | Jan 3, 2025 | What's New

Hey what’s up?

Okay, here we are. It’s a new year. But I’m not going to talk about newness, just what I’ve been up to.

This past week:

This past Friday I went to visit my family in DC. (Actually, we got down there Thursday and saw my cousins, spending time in Georgetown having ramen at Oki and the coffee at Compass while our kids did an escape room.) It was quiet at my dad’s. Not a lot going on. We went to lunch, a very standard type place in Bethesda called Matchbox. Pizza is kind of their thing but DC pizza has a really hard time competing with the pizza where we live—NY and Philly-adjacent pizza. DC pizza can’t feel good about itself so I try not to bring it up. I ordered fish and chips. My dad got a breaded chicken sandwich with egg salad on top which I didn’t know was a thing. My son got a burger with an egg on it… (what’s with all the eggs on top of meats?) …which he didn’t know if he wanted or would like but he really did. My daughter and husband each got pizzas. There was a quick trip to Target, a drive by my old ballet studio which is now a dispensary, (boo!) and then some chillin’ at my dad’s, watching tv shows like the new Hawaii 5-0 and the new Magnum PI. My dad loves a crime drama, so that’s probably where I get it. We lounged around until my brother got off work and we all went to sushi. Now the sushi in DC “slaps” as the teens say, or did up until a couple days ago. At least the sushi at the place we go in Tenleytown, named Yosaku, is really good. The kids had been off since the previous Friday and even with all the time available, it was a real effort to get everyone together and squeeze in a visit to my family. I’m so glad we did.

We drove home Saturday in rain and dense fog, and then spent the evening recovering.

Sunday I went to my favorite yoga class, saw my favorite yoga teacher, Lisa who had been gone for a few weeks helping on her family’s Christmas tree farm. It was so good to be back. I had missed a bunch of Sundays because I decided Christmas would be more Christmassy and I’d feel more grounded if I went to all four weeks of Advent and i was right, but I do wish church wasn’t the same day as my favorite yoga class.

At some point this week i started every conversation with a confirmation of what day of the week it was so that I would know.

Monday we were STILL on vacation and it involved a lot of doing nothing in particular. Monday night I hung out with some girlfriends and we got pizza (PIZZA!) at the Colonial in Easton PA. Amazing. Also when we split the bill it was $11 per person. With tip. When does that happen?

It’s starting to look like I’m writing a food review blog. And I would be happy to.

Tuesday/New Year’s Wve was super quiet and involved ordering Chinese food and watching the last episode of Ted Lasso season 3. I spent time finishing up a website job for my friend and artist Glenn Harren.

Wednesday was New Year’s Day and we went to my in-laws to eat pork and sauerkraut. It’s not my favorite but it’s good luck. also my mother-in-law’s cheese cake is the absolute best in the whole world and I can get the recipe for you if you want it. She put raspberry sauce (?) on top and for the next two hours I tried to get the raspberry seeds out of the raspberry-seed-shaped fissures in my molars. I finally did with a sewing needle.

Thursday we all went back to our jobs and it was uneventful. my husband had a massage. I submitted a short story to www.thesunmagazine.org. I set a goal to publish the collection of stories i recently finished and someone suggested getting them published in an online magazine. I feel really good about sending something off. I also made some design updates to my website and committed to weekly posts.

And today in Friday again. My daughter had her last dermatology appointment after doing Accutane for most of the year. (last year) and i’m really going to miss her doctor. She is the best. Tonight, the husband and I are going on a date.

Eagles fan in Washington

Ruby the dog

Shopping in Georgetown

Books Reviews — July-December 2024

by Leigh | Dec 7, 2024 | What I'm Reading

The Lost Daughter
by Elena Ferrante

Recommended by a friend, I wanted to like this story. It’s hard to say why I didn’t. Perhaps it was too real. And showed the uglier side of human nature. Throughout the telling of one woman’s holiday at the beach, conflict develops with other vacationers and the choices she makes, although explained, left me feeling disappointment and unease. I suppose it was somewhat of a relief to read about a character that was so flawed and where things within, as well as outside of, her control go wrong.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers
by Katherine Boo

I almost didn’t read this book. The story starts off with a violent event, set in an unimaginable setting, a slum in Mumbai. But I did read it and I’m glad I did. Only when I got to the end did I learn it was a true story. This narrative non-fiction tale follows the residents of a neighborhood of makeshift huts, scraping together the most desperate existence. Life is made worse by ethnic differences, fighting over resources, police and political corruption that is so bad it’s hard to believe let alone imagine. The author spend four years living in India, interviewing and following the people in the slums, so she could get the entire story and do justice to the realities of living where everything is against you.

Stone Creek
by Kate Brandes

I ended up at a local book reading by accident. The author was Kate who lives nearby and who’s kids go to school with mine. I loved hearing about her process of writing and publishing this, her second book. The story is about a young girl who grows up with a father who is an eco-terrorist and always on the run. One day he disappears leaving her completely on her own, but she ends up putting down roots in a small town, something she always wanted. Many years later, her father resurfaces and everything is turned upside-down. I thoroughly enjoyed Stone Creek and recommend it.

The Chrysanthemums
by John Steinbeck

This little gem crossed my path and it was excellent. I mean, of course it was. It’s Steinbeck. Story stories rarely get their due. They are usually read in high school English classes. But I think they should be read more regularly. The Chrysanthemums is about a woman, feeling prideful, and vulnerable, falls for the tricks of a traveling salesman. Carefully chosen words, almost poem-like, contribute to the mood and tension that leaves the reader feeling uneasy and sad, empathetic and critical. So good.

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage
by Ann Patchett

I’ve been a big Ann Patchett fan forever, but this was the first I’ve read of her non-fiction. I enjoyed learning about her background, how she got her start writing (by writing non-fiction articles for magazines), and how she approaches the craft. I learned a lot about her personally, like how she tried to get hired by the LAPD. At times it felt like having the curtain pulled away, but ultimately I loved this collection of story stories and recommend it, especially to anyone who dreams of becoming a writer.

Eventide
by Kent Haruf

Of course I loved this, as it follows the first in the trilogy, Plainsong. Although Plainsong is a hard act to follow. As soon as I turned to the first page, I had that feeling of seeing old friends. I can’t remember a writer who had drawn such lovable characters that you are so happy to be reunited. Haruf’s writing achieves such careful use of words, only the amount needed to describe a scene or a character perfectly. I leaves the with a tangible feeling of time and place, invested in the characters and how they will not only survive, but help others to do the same.

My Trip to California — Santa Cruz, Monterey, and the Bay Area

by Leigh | Aug 1, 2024 | Travel

We spent a week on the west coast in July. Santa Cruz is like a second home and even though I go there fairly often to visit family and friends, it never seems to work out for the four of us to go together. The last time the kids had been there was when they were 4 years old and they did not remember it at all. It was so fun to show them all the beautiful places I know and love.

IN SANTA CRUZ we rented a very rundown Airbnb which was so bad it was comical. The weather was foggy and cold the first couple days. Classic Santa Cruz summer. We did love the lemon trees though and made so much lemonade. When life gives you lemons… We went to so many good food joints. Verve Coffee, Tacos Morenos, Zoccoli’s. We hiked and we biked, in forests of eucalyptus, and along West Cliff drive. We went to the beach in front of the Dream Inn, the only day it was really warm and sunny. We did the Boardwalk one night and the kids got to ride the Giant Dipper, the oldest wooden roller coaster in the world. We had dinner on the wharf with my mom where we saw sea lions. We shopped in countless vintage clothing stores and surf shops. My friend Joan works at Pacific Trading Co. and I was treated to a personal shopping experience there with my own rail of clothes to try on. I wanted it all but ended up just buying one amazing pair of Mother jeans.

IN MONTEREY we ate at a Mexican place with and outdoor patio and then went to the Aquarium. That took up a whole day.

IN THE BAY AREA we went all over. We drove up the coast at the end of our trip and stopped in Pescadero, ate at the Arcangeli Grocery Co., then Half Moon Bay, then continued up highway 1 to SF. We saw the sights in San Francisco like North Beach pizza, Coit tower, Fisherman’s Wharf. No cable car rides sadly but drove up and down lots of steep hills. We visited my cousins in Oakland and explored the area, stopping at the epic Homeroom Mac & Cheese and then to the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda where you can play hundreds of games from every era. We detoured up through Berkeley, checked out the campus and stopped in a cool coffee shop.

We had such a good time. There was some serious roughing it, a couple nights with all of us in one room, and a brutal red-eye flight on the way home. But in the end we loved the experience of being in California together as a family.

Art is Life

by Leigh | Jun 28, 2024 | Art

Growing up in DC my parents took us to art museums. It never occurred to me that other people weren’t spending a Sunday strolling endlessly through those hallowed halls. From a very early age I fell in love with Mary Cassatt and Degas. Soft, innocent confections. As I got older, I drifted away from the pretty expressionists, taking a passing interest in Matisse and Monet and Picasso and all the greats, moving on to my true home, abstract expressionism. These mad geniuses spoke my language. Their work spoke directly to my soul. Rothko. Those color fields vibrated with all the angst a canvas could contain. Franz Kline, big black strokes of iron, crisscrossing each other. I didn’t care why. They were perfection. I liked Pollock. But Motherwell. Diebenkorn. And so on and so on. I could also permanently reside in the clean orderly lines of Ellsworth Kelly, Frank Stella, and Piet Mondrian.

Of course, I went to art school. where else would I go? And then they asked me what my major would be. I chose what felt the most me and what seemed the most responsible in terms of paying rent: photography. But I still wanted to be a painter. Or maybe even something that didn’t have a word or something that was everything. Like Robert Rauschenberg. Painting/silk screen/photo/sculpture. How dare you ask me to play favorites. But I did. Once I bullied my way into a drawing class with the best teacher MICA had to offer, Howie Weiss. He taught me to create work I didn’t believe was in me, always pushing me to find that elusive, makes-no-sense, forget-what’s-supposed-to-happen-on-the-page and do the art I was meant to do. And I did and it was abstract AF and I transcended. And then he remembered I was a photo major and he apologized for thinking I was a real artist.

Today I am a graphic designer. Well, I’m a human who makes money doing graphic design. I have paintings on my walls. Some of them I painted. The art critic in me will tell you they’re garbage. But I kind of like them. I mean I didn’t try to make them good. Why would I do that? God, what if I did try? Ok, I might’ve tried a little bit. They’re not terrible. For what they are. They add color to the room. They create a mood. I’m okay with that. Art is hard. As a creative person, I get tripped up by what my head tells me. Why do you bother? That’s not real art. Are you serious? But the artist in me says, leave me alone. I’m just starting. Let me make it be something before you tell me it’s nothing.

Maybe there’s an artist living inside you. Maybe you never even tried to make art because you think you should already be good at it, or you worry you weren’t born with that gift. But maybe it doesn’t matter. Besides, it’s all relative. It’s all subjective. I believe art isn’t supposed to be pretty. Nor does not have to look realistic. That’s why we have cameras! Art is meant to express, to evoke feeling, to calm, to enrage. It can be a means unto itself. So, you don’t need to worry if it’s “good.” If you think you want to create something, you should. Just try. Just start. Just put marks on a surface. A paper bag, a canvas. It doesn’t matter. Does it feel good? Awesome. Keep doing it.