Since Mom wasn't exactly the most useful person in the world, one lesson I learned at an early age was how to get things done, and this was a source of both amazement and concern for Mom, who considered my behavior unladylike but also counted on me. "I never knew a girl to have such gumption," she'd say. "But I'm not too sure it's a good thing.

Life is a drama full of tragedy and comedy. You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more.

Why spend the afternoon making a meal that will be gone in an hour," she'd ask us, "when in the same amount of time, I can do a painting that will last forever?

Dad was a philosopher and had what he called his Theory of Purpose, which held that everything in life had a purpose, and unless it achieved that purpose, it was just taking up space on the planet and wasting everybody's time.

I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes.

Most important thing in life is learning how to fall.

Nobody's perfect. We're all just one step up from the beasts and one step down from the angels.