It is true that I do not speak as well as I can think. But that is true of most people, as nearly as I can tell.

Quit smoking, and observe posted speed limits. This will improve your odds of getting old enough to be wise.

Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer.

Your own family resemblances are a frustrating code, most easily read by those who know you least.

Planning complex, beautiful meals and investing one's heart and time in their preparation is the opposite of self-indulgence. Kitchen-based family gatherings are process-oriented, cooperative, and in the best of worlds, nourishing and soulful. A lot of calories get used up before anyone sits down to consume. But more importantly, a lot of talk happens first, news exchanged, secrets revealed across generations, paths cleared with a touch on the arm. I have given and received some of my life's most important hugs with those big oven-mitt potholders on both hands.

The daily work - that goes on, it adds up.

I had decided early on that if I couldn’t dress elegant, I’d dress memorable.