My editor just wrote to me with exciting news. HOW TO BE AN AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE is a finalist for the John Gardner Fiction Book Award.  They haven’t posted the finalists to their web page yet, but past finalists/winners include Tobias Wolff and Jane Smiley. John Gardner was a writer and professor; a couple of his…

I found this great blog through StumbleUpon: Demanding Joy.  It’s all about consciously trying to be happy, and ways and reflections on attempting to achieve this. The author has a list-writing exercise: 50 Lists to Write to Lift Your Spirits. These are all great ideas. I’ve chosen #44. #44 Things you want to teach your…

Today, I went to Target and amazingly only spent $10. This is mostly because I forgot one item on my two-item list, which I still can’t remember this evening.  Hopefully it’s nothing life-or-death. You know how Target is: go in for one thing, come out with 20. Actually, my life’s goal is to be rich…

One way I know I’m getting old is that people who used to seem old when I first saw them in TV shows or movies now seem young, when I see those same media. Exhibit A:Ed O’Neil, AKA Al Bundy. When MARRIED WITH CHILDREN was first on, I did not watch it.  Wasn’t allowed to. …

My kids occasionally save up their allowances (or don’t save them) and buy completely useless things.  I always want to yell (and usuall do), “Please, save your money!  This is junk,” but of course they don’t listen, just as I never listened when my mom advised me that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to…

As the planes began to appear, I thought of my mother, her ashes right across the road, wondering which of these types of planes had been strafing her. If you read my book, you’ll recall that scene, based on an incident my mother related to me: the American pilots strafing her and laughing.

I know, those words, “I saw it in Martha Stewart and I thought I could make it!” have precluded MANY a culinary disaster, but I’m not one who learns my lessons easily, I suppose.