In Charleston, we’ve had severe (to us sissies) cold weather recently with a dash of freezing rain that can make driving d/icey. We rarely have this kind of weather, but it made me think about black ice and how you don’t know it’s there until your car starts to skid out of control. The advice when this happens is not to slam on the brakes, but to keep steering in the direction you were headed. (Which seems preposterous to me but is evidently fact-based.) Then I thought about all the times I’d encountered emotional black ice in my life, when I suddenly lost control of my own narrative and my first impulse was to panic and swerve around trouble. Who hasn’t dreamed of escaping, of veering north to the fake Promised Land of Canada, of finding a utopia where plagues and politics don’t intrude? Unfortunately, we now know there are no fail-safe havens, no warranties that come with our bodies, no predictable life paths. Viruses, viral virulence and violence. Trouble abounds! But the world also gives us birthday pinatas, bacon, Derry Girls, snow days, Frank Sinatra, John Donne, 3-hour Sunday lunches, back-up cameras, wolves, gardenias, Kahlua milkshakes, Orion the Hunter, remote controls, BOGO, second chances, do-overs, forgiveness, and best friends forever. Joy also abounds! 

When I was a little girl, my grandmother used a hand lotion called Italian Balm. I’m sure it was an ordinary, inexpensive brand, but it always seemed like a magic potion to me. Between winter walks and indoor heat, my skin is super dry and regular moisturizers don’t help my skin much. One that does work for me is Oak Essentials Moisture Rich Balm (“rich” probably refers to the price). The word “balm” triggers childhood memories of my grandmother, and I love thinking of her every time I apply it. 

I’m the furthest thing from an athlete or sports fan and, aside from Winter Olympics, I just don’t have an interest in TV games. But I’m devoted to Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO. In fact, it’s the main reason I subscribe. Deep stories, bold takes, radical viewpoints—it’s one of the best shows on television and a great example of long-form sports journalism. As a writer, I’m a huge admirer, and I learn so much from every show.

I follow @LoveandLemons on Instagram for their vegetarian recipes, and their recent post about different salad dressings was full of good ideas. My favorite is the easy Lemon Vinaigrette for the chopped salad mix I get from Trader Joe’s, and maybe for roasted vegetables or even salmon.

I love lists of all kinds, and we even incorporated a list exercise in the writing workshop Stephanie Hunt and I conducted this week at Redux Contemporary Art Center. So, of course, I fell hard for 100 Tips for a Better Life. They don’t all apply to me, but there’s enough variety that there’s something for everyone. (If you missed our first workshop, we'll be having one the last Wednesday of every month, all new themes each time.)