Food is not just about taste, we know. But how much it depends on visual stimuli was a surprise to me. And so were a few other things I didn't expect and which I can't forget.

A couple of years ago I was in Zurich and… Read full post »

This month I began my third year here on Open Salon. And sometimes, like this past week,  it feels like I've been here forever! 

A big, huggy thanks to those of you over the years who have taken the time to read, comment and rate me. And to share my experiences,… Read full post »

The Milford Sound on the western edge of the South Island of New Zealand, where mountains plunge to still water, offers some of the most magnificent scenery on earth. 

But about half the time it rains. Pelting, sleety rain. And sometimes it pours. And sometimes, as in… Read full post »

photo credit: deadspin.com

When traveling I'm often conflicted when offered local specialties. And the anecdote at the end of this post is a great example of why.

As a travel writer who’s eaten my way around, I’ve consumed local products that I’d never… Read full post »

thepioneerwoman.com

Elvis died at Graceland, August 16, thirty-three years ago, at the age of 42. When I heard the news I was sitting with my mother in the sunroom of my house in Westchester County. I was unhappy in my first marriage.  It was hot. New York was/… Read full post »

This will be funny. Hang in there.

As the film  Eat, Pray, Love opens across the country next week, what’s already a worldwide club of solo women seeking fulfillment in Italy, India and Bali will increase even more, until you’d have to seek a settlement in the/… Read full post »

  at the Grand Canyon, on assignment

Especially in this time of dire economic hardships, people comment that they envy my travels and my “interesting” experiences. Yes, I focus on the positives and the fun things. And yes, there have been/… Read full post »

Mad Men, Season 4 arrives Sunday night, and like so many of us I can hardly wait. When I watch that show (and when I read Silkstone/Nell’s recap on Mondays), I get a powerful flash of recognition.

For me, it’s not just the style and… Read full post »

red-jeep.com

He drove me to the inn in Brewster where we always celebrated. A fire sputtered in the fireplace although it was summer. He ordered coquille St Jacque and tournedos Rossini. I did too. It was the meal we had ordered… Read full post »

mburgan-wordpress.com

My sons grew up as major Yankee fans during the 1970s and 80s, when George Steinbrenner, who just died of a massive heart attack, was the colorful Yankee owner who captured the headlines.

As a single mom I often took them to… Read full post »

Dear Randall,

That weekend I spent with you, Jen and the girls in February, 2009 you were still reeling from the loss of your business, your dream, your job, your life savings. Your company… Read full post »

Our great country honors just about everybody: couples on Valentine's Day, mothers, fathers, grandparents, secretaries. presidents, laborers. Even groundhogs.

How about a tribute to singles who live independently and who bear the burden of higher per-capita taxes, single supple… Read full post »

 reflections of Mohonk Mountain House, originating in 1869

This first week of July many of us will be writing about Americana and displaying images of our beautiful country.

Some of us just spent a weekend at one of the great old lodgings from the mid-nineteenth century, a… Read full post »

He yelled all the time.

I don’t remember him talking. He would get emotional and pace up and down through the rooms, roaring away. This frightened me.

He was gone six months of the year.

He played the horses and dogs… Read full post »

abstract-art.com

I recently saw Red, just awarded the Tony for best play, about the abstract-expressionist artist Mark Rothko. In the play, set in 1959, Rothko is flooded with memories about art and life –and change.

The play sparked my own memories… Read full post »

bobandersonentertainment.com

Well, he got naked an hour after we talked. But this is short, with a big payoff. Here's the true story:

Long ago I purchased a matinee ticket for a well-reviewed drama, Indiscretions, brought across the pond  from London to Broadway. The/… Read full post »

wordpress.com

I spent a few days with actress Rue McClanahan, who died this morning of  a stroke at 76.

About 15 years ago I was invited as a travel writer on a “Love Boat” Valentine excursion where just about everyone on… Read full post »

etonline.com 

My brilliant grandma watched soap operas. My witty mom read romance novels. I’m hooked on The Real Housewives Series on Bravo. And so are many of my smart girlfriends and yes, some of the smartest and best writers on OS. (You know… Read full post »

 newamericandream.net

Rand Paul, you've got to be kidding whether or not you now support the law passed to uphold civil rights. And misguided teabaggers and pundits who support him, you need to rethink this. I’m remembering my early years, shaped in Florida, Georgia… Read full post »

http://www.sextherapydoctor.com/images/index.1.gif

 "It takes a hell of a good man to be my Mr. Right. It takes a hell of a sweet man to see me every night. It takes a hell of a good man to be better than no man at all." –Hell… Read full post »

I share this happy news with you as a reminder that love often comes when you least expect it. And it's never too late.

We kept it as a surprise to all but family, but I want you to know that on Saturday… Read full post »